Tillandsia: The Air Plant Bromeliad That Blooms Once and Produces Pups

Tillandsia: The Air Plant Bromeliad That Blooms Once and Produces Pups

A gardener's aunt bought a strange plant in NYC. It had large green leaves at the base, a thick red/green stem, and a flattened closed-up red top.

Plant

Expert Identification

The plant is a popular bromeliad (Tillandsia), related to pineapples and Spanish moss. It's an epiphyte (gets sustenance from air, not soil), tolerates cooler temps than most bromeliads. It blooms once, then dies but produces side shoots ("pups") that become new plants.