Explanation of Plants in Bud

Low bud, high bud no bud…
Tillandsias are in a constant state of growth.  In the late spring and summer this growth is accelerated.  Some species can finish blooming in a week.  The plants continue to grow in the box when shipped.  We are consistently asked to ship plants that arrive in low bud.  Most of the time it is just not possible.  Keep in mind that there are no other tillandsia growers that even offer plants on a bloom list.  We do the best we can.  If you are concerned about plants ” blooming out” before you sell them, then I suggest that you order plants with no bud and wait for them to bloom.  Thanks for your understanding.

Various sizes different times of the year…this again goes back to plants being in a constant state of flux.

My plants did not look as good as the last ones…again keep in mind that they are all individuals and look different based on whether or not our shade cloth is up or what level of our growing area they reside.

My plants looked dry.  Tillandias are sensitive to over watering.  They need to dry out between waterings.  In the summer the outside air temperature at the nursery can reach 100-108 F at 20% humidity.

The plants lose water traveling in these conditions.  Plants ordered in the warm months should be soaked on arrival then given enough time to rehydrate.  Keep in mind that they should not remain wet for much more than 4 hours or they may suffocate and die.

Our night temperatures are getting below freezing.  Is it safe to ship?  The box and the UPS truck offer some protection against the cold.  We recommend shipping the plants when lows are 22 f or higher.  We have not had any problems except when UPS has mishandled the plants less than 1 % of the time.