Tillandsia usneoides (forms and hybrids)

[SEVA]

I recently acquired several different Tillandsias to add to my collection.  I've included a few in the photo below.  Does anyone know the cold hardiness of the non-native forms and hybrid?  I'm thinking they aren't as hardy as our native Spanish moss, but figured I'd check if anyone on here knows.  For now, I plan to treat them like I do for my other non/less cold hardy Tillandsia species.

From left to right: Tillandsia usneoides thick form, Tillandsia usneoides native form (for comparison purposes), Tillandsia usneoides super fine form, and Tillandsia recurvata x usneoides

[SEVA]

Closer view of the 3 Tillandsia usneoides forms.

[Silas_Sancona]

22 minutes ago, SEVA said:

I recently acquired several different Tillandsias to add to my collection.  I've included a few in the photo below.  Does anyone know the cold hardiness of the non-native forms and hybrid?  I'm thinking they aren't as hardy as our native Spanish moss, but figured I'd check if anyone on here knows.  For now, I plan to treat them like I do for my other non/less cold hardy Tillandsia species.

From left to right: Tillandsia usneoides thick form, Tillandsia usneoides native form (for comparison purposes), Tillandsia usneoides super fine form, and Tillandsia recurvata x usneoides

 like seeing all the different forms side by side. 

As far as hardiness,  can't speak for the really fine or thicker form but would assume the recurvata X usneoides cross should be pretty tough.. T. recurvata grows everywhere from Florida and the Southeast US, to about as far north as San Antonio ..maybe Austin? Texas.. Hilly / lower mountain slopes in southeastern Arizona, and adjacent Sonora, Mexico.. and in the so called " Fog Deserts" of Baja on Boojums, Bursera sp., and Cardon Cacti.. Very surprised the stuff never naturally grew anywhere in California.  Pretty versatile Tillandsia. 

[SEVA]

2 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

 like seeing all the different forms side by side. 

As far as hardiness,  can't speak for the really fine or thicker form but would assume the recurvata X usneoides cross should be pretty tough.. T. recurvata grows everywhere from Florida and the Southeast US, to about as far north as San Antonio ..maybe Austin? Texas.. Hilly / lower mountain slopes in southeastern Arizona, and adjacent Sonora, Mexico.. and in the so called " Fog Deserts" of Baja on Boojums, Bursera sp., and Cardon Cacti.. Very surprised the stuff never naturally grew anywhere in California.  Pretty versatile Tillandsia. 

Since a few small pieces had broken off, I decided to test those outside.  I placed the super fine (2 pieces) and thick (1 piece) Spanish moss pieces on a pondcypress back in the swamp where some native Spanish moss is growing.  You can barely see the super fine form, but it is between the thick form (left) and our native form (right).  I'm not sure if this will be a fair trial given their size, but we'll see what happens.  I'm not expecting these 2 forms to survive, since I'm at the edge of the Spanish moss native range.  It'd be nice though.

Oh and if anyone has experience with these forms or others, please share.  I've read that there are yellow/brown blooming forms.  Our native Spanish moss has green flowers.  Another thing I've found interesting is that many articles state that Spanish moss doesn't develop roots, but I've seen roots (or at least root-like structures) on ours.

[Gonzer]

I currently grow about 10-12 forms (Guatemalan, Mexican, Peru, USA, thick/thin, curly, plus cultivars). None have ever experienced adverse effects from frost. Roots are initially generated at the seedling stage to help establish the plants in their new environment. A "cutting" will not produce roots. Below are some photos of mine showing this. There is a yellow-flower form that produces copious amounts of roots along the stems but there's some question as to if this may be a natural hybrid but the parentage is in doubt. I'll post a pic later today.

Edited November 11, 2019 by Gonzer

[bubba]

Spanish moss is a beautiful sight, particularly on those magnificent Live Oak trees. Did not know of the other areas. Interesting to see it's other forms and other places.

[SEVA]

4 hours ago, Gonzer said:

I currently grow about 10-12 forms (Guatemalan, Mexican, Peru, USA, thick/thin, curly, plus cultivars). None have ever experienced adverse effects from frost. Roots are initially generated at the seedling stage to help establish the plants in their new environment. A "cutting" will not produce roots. Below are some photos of mine showing this. There is a yellow-flower form that produces copious amounts of roots along the stems but there's some question as to if this may be a natural hybrid but the parentage is in doubt. I'll post a pic later today.

Have yours ever experienced a freeze?  Our native Spanish moss is adapted to zone 7b/8a, but I'm concerned these other forms won't survive here.  Maybe my trial this winter will give an idea of their hardiness.  Also, I've attached 2 photos of the roots from our native Spanish moss.  I'm not sure if they germinated on other pieces of Spanish moss or maybe fell from above, but these are entangled in a clump.

[Gonzer]

Siva, mine have survived freezes (the rare times) pretty well. No real discernable damage. There were, at last count, 27 different forms and cultivars, mainly in Australia. Being the world's most widespread bromeliad it's not hard to imagine even more forms waiting to be discovered. The one pictured below is a head scratcher as the leaves are round/tubular and are not hollow. The suspect hybrid parent IMO is T. mollis but it only grows in a small area of Bolivia. It roots out all along the multiple stems.

Edited November 11, 2019 by Gonzer

[scarecrow]

@SEVAHow has the Tillandsia recurvata x usneoides performed for you during the last few winters?

[SEVA]

On 4/8/2023 at 2:43 PM, scarecrow said:

@SEVAHow has the Tillandsia recurvata x usneoides performed for you during the last few winters?

It didn’t survive the first winter from what I remember. I’m not sure of the provenance of that particular hybrid. I’ve tried T. recurvata (FL provenance) a few times without success, until this past winter. I acquired some from Texas that did just fine, so I might try to cross the TX ballmoss with our native VA Spanish moss. 

[Bigfish]

Cool thread!  I have been collecting T. bartramii pollen for a month, and am about to attempt a T. usneoides x bartramii hybrid.  I could try the reciprocal cross too, but it’s hard keeping track of the seed pods, lol.  

[SEVA]

On 4/25/2023 at 4:51 PM, Bigfish said:

Cool thread!  I have been collecting T. bartramii pollen for a month, and am about to attempt a T. usneoides x bartramii hybrid.  I could try the reciprocal cross too, but it’s hard keeping track of the seed pods, lol.  

That sounds like it’d be an interesting hybrid. I might go ahead and try crossing T. usneoides and T. recurvata with what I acquired as T. setacea, since it survived this past winter. I’m thinking of possibly using colorful thread to mark the attempted crosses, if necessary or feasible.

[Bigfish]

1 hour ago, SEVA said:

That sounds like it’d be an interesting hybrid. I might go ahead and try crossing T. usneoides and T. recurvata with what I acquired as T. setacea, since it survived this past winter. I’m thinking of possibly using colorful thread to mark the attempted crosses, if necessary or feasible.

I tried using a twist tie on a couple of crosses to mark them, but the problem is that several flowers have emerged from the same branch.  I know it’ll be the first one though, assuming seeds even form (bartramii x fasciculata).