Tillandsia ionantha 'Rubra' (Air Plant)

Tillandsia ionantha 'Rubra' is a cultivated selection distinguished by its permanently deeper, richer coloration compared to the standard green-silver ionantha. Where typical ionantha plants show green foliage that flushes red only at bloom time, 'Rubra' carries warm reddish-bronze tones throughout the growing season, even before any flowering begins. The leaves sit in a compact rosette, typically 2 to 3 inches across, and the overall plant has a slightly denser, darker presence than its more common relatives.

At bloom time the inner leaves intensify to a deeper crimson and the plant sends up the classic ionantha violet-blue tubular flowers from the center. The combination of the persistently colored foliage and the blooms makes this cultivar particularly rewarding for anyone who wants visual interest from their air plant year-round, not only during the few weeks of active flowering.

After flowering, offsets form readily at the base.