Tillandsia Frost Hardiness

[ExperimentalGrower]

It’s been nearly a month since a surprise frost caught me off guard. I thought it would look like a Tillandsia war zone but…. not so much. Have a look at how most exposed species faired. These are plants that were under open sky with no canopy protection. A couple plants pictured, ice on the car for reference.

Survivors/Death- 30F, below freezing for 5 hours, wet frost 1/27/25 (accidentally soaked garden plants w hose hours prior)-

T. Houston- no damage 
T. Glabrior- possible very light spotting on one leaf, generally damage free, visible ice on plant)
T. Purpurea- no frost damage, slight tip browning, could be from environmental adaptation not related to frost (new plants)
T. Plagiotropica- no damage 
T. Ehlersiana- no damage
T. Recurvata- no damage 
T. Fasciculata (Tropiflora)- no damage 
T. Fasciculata- no damage 
T. Albertiana- no damage (visible ice on plant, bottom of cluster frozen to its mount)
T. Ixiodes- no damage 
T. Cacticola- slight edema, on a couple leaves 
T. Dasylirifolia- no damage 
T. Kickiae- no damage 
T. Extensa- no damage
T. Latifolia- no damage (thin layer of ice covering plant)
T. bergeri- no damage
T. Hammeri- no damage
T. setaceae- no damage 
T. Intermedia- no damage 
T. secunda (silver) seedlings x2- both dead

***This wasn’t a hard test but enough of one to show how hardy some of these plants are.

[Than]

Last winter I was too lazy to keep my Tillandsia flabellata indoors so she spent the winter outside, in a North-facing yard. She saw 1C one night (about 30F) and had zero damage. This year she is also outside and has seen a minimum of 4 C so far. I would expect Tillandsias to be more sensitive but apparently I was pleasantly wrong.

[Silas_Sancona]

12 hours ago, ExperimentalGrower said:

T. secunda (silver) seedlings x2- both dead

  Great selection and post cold exposure report ..Don't see many people up in the Bay Area trialing these so feedback like this from those who do is quite valuable.. If he were still around, a certain Bromeliad Guru from S. Cal would probably find your info very valuable as well.

Stinks you lost your T. secunda  but had the same experience shortly after getting my paws on one back in 2012..

There's roughly a handful or so of sps from Western Mexico i want to trial here that supposedly should be able to handle our heat / extremely dry air we experience most of the time Spring thru Fall., and the rare sub 33F mornings we see. ...if i keep them where i can mist them through the roughest parts of the year.  On a mission to find a specimen or two of the local form of T. recurvata  that grows in S. AZ also.

Since your humidity levels are just a bit better than ours are, imagine you should be able to add quite a few more to the list of species that should do well ..and handle what occasional colder mornings you experience w/ out too much / any trouble..

Floss Silk or Ceiba insignis  the tillys in shots # 7 and 8 are hanging out on?

[ExperimentalGrower]

11 hours ago, Than said:

Last winter I was too lazy to keep my Tillandsia flabellata indoors so she spent the winter outside, in a North-facing yard. She saw 1C one night (about 30F) and had zero damage. This year she is also outside and has seen a minimum of 4 C so far. I would expect Tillandsias to be more sensitive but apparently I was pleasantly wrong.

Most are very well adapted to cold. All species I have regularly experience mid to low 30’s often just above freezing and never blink.

[ExperimentalGrower]

8 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

  Great selection and post cold exposure report ..Don't see many people up in the Bay Area trialing these so feedback like this from those who do is quite valuable.. If he were still around, a certain Bromeliad Guru from S. Cal would probably find your info very valuable as well.

Stinks you lost your T. secunda  but had the same experience shortly after getting my paws on one back in 2012..

There's roughly a handful or so of sps from Western Mexico i want to trial here that supposedly should be able to handle our heat / extremely dry air we experience most of the time Spring thru Fall., and the rare sub 33F mornings we see. ...if i keep them where i can mist them through the roughest parts of the year.  On a mission to find a specimen or two of the local form of T. recurvata  that grows in S. AZ also.

Since your humidity levels are just a bit better than ours are, imagine you should be able to add quite a few more to the list of species that should do well ..and handle what occasional colder mornings you experience w/ out too much / any trouble..

Floss Silk or Ceiba insignis  the tillys in shots # 7 and 8 are hanging out on?

Ya I have a couple Ceiba insignis that a few species of Tillandsia are mounted on. That list is a small cross section of all the species I have growing outside. I’m also growing all these species successfully. But this next list is nonexhaustive. Many of them have some canopy but they all experienced the wet cold of Northern California winters and regular dips to the low 30’s without issue. Even my numerous Xerographica don’t have any problems with the temps and wetness. For your location, I’d definitely try anything I have labeled as Xeric. 

T. edithae 

T. crocata 

T. setacea 

T. crocata ‘Copper Penny’

T. streptocarpa ‘Orchid’

T. velutina 

T. compressa (Guatemala) (this is one that seems like it would prefer warmer temps but is still growing pretty well)

T. exserta (NW Mexico, native to Sonoran Desert, Xeric, can grow 1ft wide, long inflorescence)

T. paleacea (Xeric)

T. tricolor var. tricolor (Mexico)

T. jalisco-monticola (1-2 branches)

T. hammeri (Xeric, lithophytic) 

T. cereicola (soft leaf variety, Xeric)

T. gardneri (Xeric)

T. kickiae (deep purple semi-pendant bloom, Ecuador 6000ft elevation)

T. neglecta green (easy clumper, small)

T. straminea ‘thick leaf’ (biggest clone, Peru, 24in inflorescence, very fragrant)

T. mereliana (sax. Easy fragrant bloomer, related to diaguitensis)

T. loliacea (miniature, semi-xeric, Southern S. America)

T. extensa (Sax. large plant 4ft tall, full sun, Peru)

T. glabrior (Oaxaca, sax., small)

T. propagulifera (Peru, huge, massive inflorescence w/ pups)

T. cacticola (Peru, Xeric, lavender bracts)

T. purpurea clone b (spicy fragrance, Xeric, tolerates high and low temps, grows in dunes, sax.)

T. secunda silver (possibly natural hybrid)

T. seleriana 

T. brachycaulos giant form (12+ inch diameter, Central America, likes more water than gray types)

T. ixioides ‘blue albino’ 

T. schiedeana 

T. ionantha ‘big green’

T. ionantha

T. ‘Houston’

T. fasciculata

T. recurvata

T. usneoides

T. nana 

[Silas_Sancona]

  That's a nice collection.  Looks like your insignis are doing well too..

T. exserta, intermedia, and fasciculata are definitely on the " to trial " list,  As are T. elizibethae and erubescens, ( If i can find it )  from the Sierra Madre Ocidental   ...T. caput - madusae, schiedeana, ferrisiana  ( another " if i can find any for sale " species ),  ..and some others

...Basically any species that grow below the Pine - Oak belt in the mountains down there ( W/ the exception of the two i listed ) from about Hermosillo, down to about Puerto Vallarta should be, at the very least,  test - worthy candidates up here, provided they're placed in the right micro climate around the yards.

Have several large Bursera  specimens i'll be repotting into bigger pots this year that should provide the right lighting, yet are short enough ( ..for now ) to get misted when the lawn gets watered. Some other stuff out front that are large enough now to provide good hangouts as well..

Haven't thought too much about any of the S. American sps since it's hard to say whether or not any from down there could tolerate our extreme summers, but, you never know.. i might look into some of those if i do ok w / the Xeric sps  from our side of the Americas..

Tough grow as is ( Forget it outdoors up there. Hates cold ..and really dry air. ), but if you ever find it for sale, Racinaea dyeriana ( Sometimes still listed under Tillandsia ) is well worth fussing over.  When flowering, it looks like someone stuffed the inflo. from a Lobster Claw -type Heliconia into a small Neo- type Bromeliad. 

[ExperimentalGrower]

2 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

  That's a nice collection.  Looks like your insignis are doing well too..

T. exserta, intermedia, and fasciculata are definitely on the " to trial " list,  As are T. elizibethae and erubescens, ( If i can find it )  from the Sierra Madre Ocidental   ...T. caput - madusae, schiedeana, ferrisiana  ( another " if i can find any for sale " species ),  ..and some others

...Basically any species that grow below the Pine - Oak belt in the mountains down there ( W/ the exception of the two i listed ) from about Hermosillo, down to about Puerto Vallarta should be, at the very least,  test - worthy candidates up here, provided they're placed in the right micro climate around the yards.

Have several large Bursera  specimens i'll be repotting into bigger pots this year that should provide the right lighting, yet are short enough ( ..for now ) to get misted when the lawn gets watered. Some other stuff out front that are large enough now to provide good hangouts as well..

Haven't thought too much about any of the S. American sps since it's hard to say whether or not any from down there could tolerate our extreme summers, but, you never know.. i might look into some of those if i do ok w / the Xeric sps  from our side of the Americas..

Tough grow as is ( Forget it outdoors up there. Hates cold ..and really dry air. ), but if you ever find it for sale, Racinaea dyeriana ( Sometimes still listed under Tillandsia ) is well worth fussing over.  When flowering, it looks like someone stuffed the inflo. from a Lobster Claw -type Heliconia into a small Neo- type Bromeliad. 

You very well might find some success trying some Xeric varieties, but I’d imagine most would need almost 100% shade and regular spray downs.

[Silas_Sancona]

9 minutes ago, ExperimentalGrower said:

You very well might find some success trying some Xeric varieties, but I’d imagine most would need almost 100% shade and regular spray downs.

At the very least, T. exserta and intermedia  should tolerate bright light / half day or all day shifting sun.. T. exserta itself grows in full sun down by Guaymas where they see ~ approx 8" of rain all year,  falling mainly in the July - October  timeframe..  Being next to the Gulf, humidity is more ideal down there but overall heat /  sun is as brutal as it is up here.

Regardless, planning on having a bucket of pond water on hand ( from a neighborhood retention pond nearby ) i can use to mist with since tap water, ours esp. is horrible..

For others, plenty of bright shade provided out front from an old Olive.

As mentioned, starting with the toughest candidates and seeing how it goes..

[ExperimentalGrower]

4 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

At the very least, T. exserta and intermedia  should tolerate bright light / half day or all day shifting sun.. T. exserta itself grows in full sun down by Guaymas where they see ~ approx 8" of rain all year,  falling mainly in the July - October  timeframe..  Being next to the Gulf, humidity is more ideal down there but overall heat /  sun is as brutal as it is up here.

Regardless, planning on having a bucket of pond water on hand ( from a neighborhood retention pond nearby ) i can use to mist with since tap water, ours esp. is horrible..

For others, plenty of bright shade provided out front from an old Olive.

As mentioned, starting with the toughest candidates and seeing how it goes..

Good luck, eager to hear how it goes for you.

[Rivera]

Looking good.

I'm in San Francisco's Outer Sunset, so in a more maritime influenced neighborhood with higher lows but predominantly cool temps. We get a few light frosts during a colder than average winter, but I can't lend anything meaningful in terms of frost tolerance. 

We have a small covered atrium where some Tillandsia and other bromeliads reside, but I'm gradually moving more stuff outside. 

Night time lows are on the rise again, and I just moved these Tillandsia roezlii outside.

Tillandsia oerstediana growing terrestrially. 

Tillandsia sp. or hybrid unknown mounted in Cordyline.

Same species or hybrid divided from the main clump.

Tillandsia jonesii, inflorescence gnawed off by a rodent.  

Second plant producing a flower.

A few small clumps of T. neglecta among many sprouts of overzealous Epilobium canum.

[ExperimentalGrower]

14 minutes ago, Rivera said:

Looking good.

I'm in San Francisco's Outer Sunset, so in a more maritime influenced neighborhood with higher lows but predominantly cool temps. We get a few light frosts during a colder than average winter, but I can't lend anything meaningful in terms of frost tolerance. 

We have a small covered atrium where some Tillandsia and other bromeliads reside, but I'm gradually moving more stuff outside. 

Night time lows are on the rise again, and I just moved these Tillandsia roezlii outside.

Tillandsia oerstediana growing terrestrially. 

Tillandsia sp. or hybrid unknown mounted in Cordyline.

Same species or hybrid divided from the main clump.

Tillandsia jonesii, inflorescence gnawed off by a rodent.  

Second plant producing a flower.

A few small clumps of T. neglecta among many sprouts of overzealous Epilobium canum.

Nice, you’re in kind of a Goldilocks zone for Tillandsia, especially for high altitude species. You get a ton of fog and mist regularly where you are located, perfect for them. Looks like bergeri on your Cordyline. Have you been to a BSSF meeting before?

[Rivera]

No, I've got a child and a small business, so I don't get out much! Occasionally I drop by Darold Petty's place and chat about plants. He gave me that Tillandsia clump that's in the Cordyline. 

Yes, the relative humidity is usually pretty high here. Last winter was very mild. A few light frosts this winter, but just on those still clear nights when the cold air pools since the head height temp is well above freezing.

[ExperimentalGrower]

19 hours ago, Rivera said:

No, I've got a child and a small business, so I don't get out much! Occasionally I drop by Darold Petty's place and chat about plants. He gave me that Tillandsia clump that's in the Cordyline. 

Yes, the relative humidity is usually pretty high here. Last winter was very mild. A few light frosts this winter, but just on those still clear nights when the cold air pools since the head height temp is well above freezing.

Right on. My large volleyball sized clump of Bergeri was also acquired from Darold so ours has the same progeny.  

BSSF meetings can be challenging for me to attend as well, a bit of a drive on a Thursday eve from Vallejo. But they can be pretty great if you ever have a rare free evening..

https://sfbromeliad.com

[realarch]

Justin, thanks for the thread, peaked my interest in taking a look at the Tillandsia in the garden growing on just about everything. I don’t know the species name of any of them, ( and I should), but they certainly add another dimension to the micro side of the local biota. A few years ago I placed a few on the trunk of a Tangerine tree and now they cover almost every square inch. Quite prolific little buggers.

Off topic since frost is not a factor here, but seeing your photos and extensive collection spurred the response. 

Tim

[ExperimentalGrower]

1 hour ago, realarch said:

Justin, thanks for the thread, peaked my interest in taking a look at the Tillandsia in the garden growing on just about everything. I don’t know the species name of any of them, ( and I should), but they certainly add another dimension to the micro side of the local biota. A few years ago I placed a few on the trunk of a Tangerine tree and now they cover almost every square inch. Quite prolific little buggers.

Off topic since frost is not a factor here, but seeing your photos and extensive collection spurred the response. 

Tim

Thanks Tim. I see you’re in Hilo, one of my fave cities in the states. No doubt many will grow like weeds for you in that rainforest climate! 

[ExperimentalGrower]

Spring update- although not too much has changed since my assessment of the wet frost outcomes this past winter, there are a couple items to note:

1- Unfortunately my cacticola rotted out, I attribute it to the deleterious effects of the wet frost even though it took over a month before it happened; another cacticola almost as exposed still has no damage and is doing fine... go figure.

2- The glabrior that was very exposed and icy rotted out. Also assuming this was from the frost although it took awhile to manifest. Still not fully certain as I moved this plant indoors onto a mount weeks after the frost and it appeared to be doing well for awhile then suddenly succumbed.

Unrelated to frost, I no longer have any seleriana. I can't keep these alive for more than a couple months until they rot out. They're never ever soaked, only lightly sprayed, and no water I can detect settles between the leaves. Mystified by this one. Bulbous species are always the most difficult in my opinion but seleriana seems to be the biggest prima donna of them all.