Tricolor Melanocrater

Usually grows in woods in Mexico and Central America. It is a stem-less species that averages about 30 cm in diameter and 20-25 cm in height. It forms a dense rosette. The leaves are covered with a layer of widely dispersed, minutely appressed trichomes that give the plant a subglabrous appearance. The sheaths are acteneous, and the blades range from yellow-green to red. The blades are linear-triangular, long-attenuate and relatively stiff. With bright light and high humidity, it will become a colourful standout. The floral cluster can be simple or compound. The flowers are indigo. It normally produces numerous offsets, occasionally as many as a dozen.

It prefers bright light but not direct sun or arid conditions. However, since the leaves are more chartaceous (the texture of stiff writing paper or parchment) they can withstand stronger light and longer periods of dryness. As with all Tillandsias, the key to plant vigour is a combination of good light, water, and a fertilisation program that gives the plant enough nutrients to maximise growth potential.

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