| Soft-leaved wild-pine, Leatherleaf airplant
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| Tillandsia variabilis
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| Bromeliaceae
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Landscape Uses:
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Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also accent epiphtye. |
Ecological Restoration Notes: |
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| Availability: |
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Grown by enthusiasts. |
| Description: |
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Epiphytic herb. |
| Height: |
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6-12 inches in height. Usually taller than broad. |
| Growth Rate: |
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Slow. |
| Range: |
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Monroe County Keys north to Martin, Okeechobee, Hendry and Collier counties; West Indies, southern Mexico, Central America and South America. In the Monroe County Keys, known from only one island near Key Largo. |
| Habitats: |
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Moist forests and swamps. |
| Soils: |
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Epiphytic; grows on the trunks and branches of trees and shrubs. |
| 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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Low; salt wind may burn the leaves. |
| Drought Tolerance: |
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Low; requires moist substrate and high humidity and is intolerant of long periods of drought. |
| Light Requirements: |
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Light shade. |
| Flower Color: |
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Greenish inflorescence. |
| Flower Characteristics: |
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Inconspicuous. |
| Flowering Season: |
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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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James Johnson, 2014 In habitat, Everglades National Park, Florida
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James Johnson, 2014 In habitat, Everglades National Park, Florida
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George D. Gann, 2013 In habitat, Everglades National Park, Florida
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