DESCRIPTION: This amazing little plant is known for its bulbous base and wavy arms. Its nickname is the "fuzzy wuzzy plant"! The plant stays a forest green until it is near bloom, then it turns an amazing shade of purple and produces a beautiful pink bloom. This is a quintessential variety of bulbous air plant!  Pruinosa grow wild in Florida, but have become endangered due to the Mexican bromeliad weevil (Metamasius callizona), illegal collecting, and habitat destruction. This species was described by Olof Swartz in 1797. All of our current crop are the size pictured. 

DISTRIBUTION: This species is native to northern South America, Central America, southern Mexico, the West Indies and Florida. It grows epiphytically in shady, humid areas at altitudes ranging from sea level to over 1000 meters above sea level.

FLOWER: Pruinosa produce a simple flower spike; the floral bracts are pink, with 5 to many flowers; violet petals 3 cm (1 1/8 in.) long; seed capsule pointed and 3-sided, up to 4.5 cm (1 3/4 in.) long.

Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
(unranked): Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Bromeliaceae
Subfamily: Tillandsioideae
Genus: Tillandsia
Species: T. pruinosa