Tillandsia (glasshouse) trial 2023–2025

Objectives and purpose of the trial

The RHS has not trialled Tillandsia (air plants) before, so this is an opportunity to see how the different species and cultivars perform side by side in a glasshouse setting at Walton Hall and Gardens, Warrington. Those that perform best will be awarded the RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM).
Tillandsia display hanging in the glasshouse
Spikes of Tillandsia delicata growing from part of tree log

Judges and criteria

Judging criteria

The following factors are all taken into consideration as part of the judging of the trial:

  • General form
  • Consistency of growth across all 3 plants
  • Offset production
  • Ease of flowering
  • Length of flowering period

  • Form of flower
  • Scent
  • Health
  • Longevity of leaves
  • Leaf growth rate

Suppliers to the trial

List of plants in the trial

View all the Tillandsia on trial at Walton Hall and Gardens
  • Tillandsia aeranthos
  • Tillandsia albertiana
  • Tillandsia albida
  • Tillandsia andreana
  • Tillandsia argentina
  • Tillandsia bergeri
  • Tillandsia brachycaulos
  • Tillandsia bulbosa
  • Tillandsia butzii
  • Tillandsia caerulea
  • Tillandsia caput-medusae
  • Tillandsia ‘Cotton Candy’
  • Tillandsia crocata
  • Tillandsia ‘Curly Slim’
  • Tillandsia diaguitensis
  • Tillandsia edithae
  • Tillandsia fasciculata
  • Tillandsia fresnilloensis
  • Tillandsia fuchsii f. gracilis
  • Tillandsia funckiana
  • Tillandsia gardneri
  • Tillandsia heteromorpha
  • Tillandsia ionantha var. ionantha
  • Tillandsia ionantha from Mexico
  • Tillandsia juncea
  • Tillandsia kolbii
  • Tillandsia lepidosepela
  • Tillandsia magnusiana
  • Tillandsia paucifolia
  • Tillandsia paleacea
  • Tillandsia pruinosa
  • Tillandsia pseudobaileyi baileyi
  • Tillandsia reichenbachii
  • Tillandsia scaposa
  • Tillandsia schiedeana ‘Minor’
  • Tillandsia seleriana
  • Tillandsia streptophylla
  • Tillandsia stricta ‘Hard Leaf’
  • Tillandsia stricta
  • Tillandsia tectorum
  • Tillandsia tricolor 
  • Tillandsia tricolor var. melanocrater (Tillandsia melanocrater)
  • Tillandsia velickiana
  • Tillandsia velutina
  • Tillandsia usneoides fine-leaved
  • Tillandsia usneoides
  • Tillandsia usneoides thick-leaved
RHS Award of Garden Merit logo
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Handy tools and information

Get in touch

For more information on our RHS Plant Trials or to access older trial reports, please get in touch with our team via email at [email protected].

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