Tillandsia capitata – care guide · Perfect Plants Club

Botanical fact sheet

Tillandsia capitata Griseb.

⚙ Automatic base data

Taxonomy: Family: Bromeliaceae · Genus: Tillandsia1
Plant type: Evergreen, perennial, epiphytic or lithophytic bromeliad. A rosette-forming atmospheric plant that can settle on trees or rocks without traditional potting medium.
Native distribution: Areas of Mexico, Honduras, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic. Its natural distribution extends from Mexico to Honduras and from Cuba to Hispaniola.uncertain3
Natural habitat: Occurs in seasonally dry tropical biomes. Adopting an epiphytic lifestyle, it settles on trees or as a lithophyte on rocky surfaces. In its natural habitats, it utilizes environmental moisture and precipitation.
Height / growth form: Rosette-forming, compact, stemless or short-stemmed atmospheric bromeliad. Develops sword-shaped, arching, silvery-green leaves. Mature specimens can reach about 10–50 cm in height.
Flowering period: Blooms in spring and summer. Before flowering, the central leaves of the rosette may take on a reddish hue. Its flowers are tubular, violet or purple, developing in dense inflorescences.
Growth & dormancy period: An evergreen, perennial plant. In its natural habitat, seasonal precipitation conditions influence its development. A precisely defined growth and dormancy period characteristic of the species is not documented.
Ecology: A plant with epiphytic and lithophytic lifestyles. Its roots primarily serve for anchorage. Specialized scales (trichomes) on the leaf surfaces aid in the uptake of atmospheric moisture and water. It primarily occurs in seasonally dry tropical habitats.
Conservation status: LC Least concern (IUCN)
Listed as LC (Least Concern – not threatened) on the IUCN Red List. Based on the species' global conservation status, it is currently not considered threatened.
Synonyms: 2 synonyms
Tillandsia capitata capitata
Tillandsia tephrophylla Harms
2

Sources (3)

GBIF Backbone Taxonomy – Tillandsia capitata · Scientific name · CC BY 4.0
GBIF – synonyms · Synonyms · CC BY 4.0
GBIF – distributions (Catalogue of Life; The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP); The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species) · Native distribution · CC BY 4.0

Automatic data comes from the open sources above, credited per their licences. Care experience is shown separately below.

Community knowledge

Tips & experience from members

What worked for you? Your plant’s growing conditions are attached automatically, so others can see who it works for.

No tips for this species yet – be the first to share what worked for you!

Real data

How members water it

Not enough logs yet: at least 3 plants with regular watering logs are needed (now: 0). Waterings logged in Care feed this – anonymised and aggregated.

Care guidelines

How it thrives

General data for the genus Tillandsia – no species-specific data yet

Watermediumgeneral genus data

Lightfull sungeneral genus data

Humiditymediumgeneral genus data

Min. temperature10 °Cgeneral genus data

No dormancy · general genus dataDifficulty: ●●○○○ · general genus data✓ Not known to be toxic · general genus data

No monthly schedule is shown because cultivar-/species-level data is not yet sufficient. The general values above are guidance only.

Tillandsia tip: Soak it weekly for 20 minutes, then let it dry upside down within 4 hours.

⚠ Pets & children · genus Tillandsia

Not known to be toxic 🐱 🐶 🧒details →

At a glance

Tillandsia capitata – what to know

Tillandsia capitata – family: Bromeliaceae, genus: Tillandsia. Native range: Areas of Mexico, Honduras, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic. Its natural distribution extends from Mexico to Honduras and from Cuba to Hispaniola. General care guidelines for the genus Tillandsia (no species-specific data yet): light: full sun; water: medium; min. 10 °C. One Perfect Plants Club member grows it (0 photos). It is not known to be toxic to cats or dogs.

All Tillandsia species in the catalog →Detailed toxicity data →

Frequently asked questions

How often should I water Tillandsia capitata?

According to the general guideline for the genus Tillandsia: Moderately: water when the top 2–3 cm of soil is dry, and never let it sit in standing water.

How much light does Tillandsia capitata need?

According to the general guideline for the genus Tillandsia: It needs plenty of direct sun – the sunniest window, or outdoors in summer, suits it best.

How cold can Tillandsia capitata get?

According to the general guideline for the genus Tillandsia: Keep it above 10 °C – it is frost-tender and needs a frost-free spot in winter.

Is Tillandsia capitata toxic to cats and dogs?

It is not known to be toxic to cats or dogs.

When does Tillandsia capitata flower?

According to the general guideline for the genus Tillandsia: Typical flowering time: March, April, May, June.

Community intelligence