Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants

HouseplantsConservatory Greenhouse

Tillandsia bergeri

Berger's air plant

An evergreen epiphyte forming a rosette of greyish-green, narrowly triangular leaves up to 15cm long that taper to a point. Flowers spikes 7-12cm long are produced in summer; blue flowers with white centres and twisted petals emerge from pink bracts

Save to My plants

Buy this plant

Plant nurseries
3 suppliers

Ultimate height

0.1–0.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

5–10 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Partial shade

Aspect

West–facing or East–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

H1C

Botanical details

Family: Bromeliaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Clump forming
Genus: Tillandsia are evergreen perennials, often epiphytic, forming rosettes of leathery, linear or strap-shaped leaves, and tubular or funnel-shaped flowers which may be 2-ranked in spikes with conspicuous bracts, or solitary and inconspicuous
Name status: Correct
Plant range: Brazil (RioGrande do Sul) to Argentina (Buenos Aires)

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in containers of terrestrial bromeliad compost, with the base of the leaves at or just below the surface, in semi-shade. May also be grown on slabs of bark or sections of trees. Grow outdoors in coarse, open, leafy soil in partial or dappled shade in frost-free area. Use soft water and water moderately in summer and sparingly at other times. See Air plants cultivation

Propagation

Propagate from seed (see Air plants) or by separating offsets once they are at least a third the size of the parent

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Patio and container plants
Sub-tropical

Pruning

Remove individual rosettes that have died after flowering

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids and mealybugs

Diseases

Generally disease-free

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.