Stiff-leaved wild-pine, Cardinal airplant
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Tillandsia fasciculata var. densispica
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Bromeliaceae
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Landscape Uses:
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Accent or specimen epiphyte; on live oaks along forest edges. |
Ecological Restoration Notes: |
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A relatively common epiphyte in hammocks and swamps. |
Availability: |
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Grown by enthusiasts. |
Description: |
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Epiphytic wildflower. |
Height: |
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About 12-18 inches in height; up to 36 inches in flower. Forming small clumps about as broad as tall. |
Growth Rate: |
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Slow. |
Range: |
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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: |
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Moist forests and swamps. |
Soils: |
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Epiphytic; or terrestrial in moist, well-drained humusy leaf litter, acid to neutral pH. |
Nutritional Requirements: |
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Low; it grows on nutrient poor substrate. |
Salt Water Tolerance: |
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Low; does not tolerate long-term flooding by salt or brackish water. |
Salt Wind Tolerance: |
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Moderate; grows near salt water, but is protected from direct salt spray by other vegetation. |
Drought Tolerance: |
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High; does not require any supplemental water once established. |
Light Requirements: |
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Light shade to full sun. |
Flower Color: |
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Purple. |
Flower Characteristics: |
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Showy inflorescence. |
Flowering Season: |
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Spring-fall. |
Fruit: |
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Green to brown capsule with hairy, wind dispersed seeds. |
Wildlife and Ecology: |
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Horticultural Notes: |
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Can be grown from seed and division. |
Comments: |
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It is listed as endangered by the state of Florida. |
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