Tillandsia krukoffiana flowering, one of the largest species

[Eric in Orlando]

Our Tillandsia krukoffiana is flowering. This is one of the largest Tillandsia species and is native to NW Bolivia. I'm not sure how cold hardy it is. It has produced a few pups which we are growing in the greenhouse and will try some outdoors.

[fastfeat]

Impressive!

[John Case]

Eric,

I am highly interested in obtaining one of these......any interest from your end?

Thanks,

John

[Gonzer]

Perhaps the finest looking example I've seen grown. Well done Eric! An uncommon occurence (but not unheard of) in that it produced pups as this is a monocarpic species. It grows at approximately 500 metres.

"It is worth noting that T. krukoffiana (= var. krukoffiana) is not listed for Peru. It grows far down in Bolivia on the eastern slopes of the Andes in the warm and humid southern Yungas as a terrestrial. The var. piepenbringii, on the other hand, grows in the dry and semidesert region of the western slopes of the Andes. The distance between the type and the variety is more than 2,000 km. Further research with more material may be needed to determine if this variety can be advanced to species status."

[LJG]

Eric, you are lucky. Mine flowered this year too and no pups . It handled the cool winter soils here in SoCal. when I get home from Moab I will post pics.

[Eric in Orlando]

It had just a few pups at the base, maybe half an inch across. We have had Vriesea imperialis do this also but almost all the pups do not grow and die off after awhile.

This plant was recently donated by a major local bromeliad grower.

[Gonzer]

Those tiny, skinny offsets are what are known as 'hair pups'. Removing and raising these tiny plants to maturity is often problematic and too time consuming. They differ from a normal pup in that they are found deep down on the stem underground. This is so that in the wild, after the plant has flowered and starts to die back, these hair pups are the last vestiges of the survival of that plant. They wait until the stem has rotted almost to ground level to start the growing process. If you notice them on a large Tillandsia-type bromeliad they seem to reach a certain size then suddenly stop growing, unlike a normal pup. Only when the mother plant starts to fade do they kick it up a notch, and then only the strongest will remain to carry on that plant's lineage.

[Eric in Orlando]

Very interesting, I never knew that. Thanks for the information !!!

[BS Man about Palms]

I thought that looked like yours Len...

[LJG]

Here is mine. I looked again and no pups. I think I will cut the flower and let it sit there for a year and see if any pups emerge.

[Bags]

First time I have seen one of these. Now I have to get one!

[John Case]

Same here!

[gsytch]

Very similar to Alcantarea odorata in the pupping...tough to get them going. I managed one pup to take on mine and lost about ten, but since my specimen died, I now have a nice 15" plant growing that will replace the one dying. My attempt at sowing the seeds was negative. I tried though :-)) G~

[LJG]

Well, patience paid off. Just today I looked and what did I see? Two of these over a year after flowering. So glad I held onto this to see if it would eventually pup.

[Moose]

Well, patience paid off. Just today I looked and what did I see? Two of these over a year after flowering. So glad I held onto this to see if it would eventually pup.

good going