Tillandsia seleriana (Air Plant)

Tillandsia seleriana is immediately recognizable by its thick, bulbous base and twisting silver-gray leaves that splay outward like a wild crown. It's a tank-type air plant, meaning the overlapping leaves at its base create a cup that naturally catches and holds water in the wild, where it often grows tucked into the crevices of tree bark in the cloud forests of Mexico and Central America. That distinctive silhouette makes it one of the most sculptural Tillandsia species available.

Care is straightforward but slightly different from thin-leafed varieties: water by misting frequently rather than soaking to avoid rot in the hollow base. It appreciates bright, filtered light and good air movement, and like all air plants it draws nutrients through its leaves rather than roots. Indoors at average household temperatures it stays evergreen year-round.

When it blooms, Tillandsia seleriana sends up a striking inflorescence of deep red-purple bracts topped with violet tubular flowers.