Stiff-leaved wild-pine, Cardinal airplant
Tillandsia fasciculata var. densispica
Bromeliaceae


Landscape Uses:

Accent or specimen epiphyte; on live oaks along forest edges.

Ecological Restoration Notes:

A relatively common epiphyte in hammocks and swamps.
Availability:
Grown by enthusiasts.
Description:
Epiphytic wildflower.
Height:
About 12-18 inches in height; up to 36 inches in flower. Forming small clumps about as broad as tall.
Growth Rate:
Slow.
Range:
Monroe County Keys north to Volusia, Orange, Polk, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties; West Indies, Mexico and Central America. Rare in the Monroe County Keys south of Key Largo and perhaps absent in the middle Keys.
Habitats:
Moist forests and swamps.
Soils:
Epiphytic; or terrestrial in moist, well-drained humusy leaf litter, acid to neutral pH.
Nutritional Requirements:
Low; it grows on nutrient poor substrate.
Salt Water Tolerance:
Low; does not tolerate long-term flooding by salt or brackish water.
Salt Wind Tolerance:
Moderate; grows near salt water, but is protected from direct salt spray by other vegetation.
Drought Tolerance:
High; does not require any supplemental water once established.
Light Requirements:
Light shade to full sun.
Flower Color:
Purple.
Flower Characteristics:
Showy inflorescence.
Flowering Season:
Spring-fall.
Fruit:
Green to brown capsule with hairy, wind dispersed seeds.
Wildlife and Ecology:
Horticultural Notes:
Can be grown from seed and division.
Comments:
It is listed as endangered by the state of Florida.


George D. Gann
Roger L. Hammer
George D. Gann
Keith A. Bradley
Keith A. Bradley