By Tom Knight
About the Pink Quill Plant
Several plants from the Tillandsia Genus are grown as houseplants. You have the popular Air Plants and the subjects of this article: The Blue Flowered Torch or Pink Quill Plant - Otherwise known as Tillandsia cyanea or Tillandsia lindenii.
Both the Tillandsia cyanea and Tillandsia lindenii look very similar and so they're often both sold as "Pink Quills". Tillandsia lindenii can have pink or purple flowers, while Tillandsia cyanea has these, plus an uncommon white form.
Generally the cyanea is a little bigger but they both make great houseplants and have the familiar stiff grassy like leaves with a long lasting flowering bract.
Tillandsia cyanea (or Wallisia cyanea as it was reclassified in 2017) shows off the pink flowering bract that will last for months. The purple flowers only last a week at most, but new ones will be pushed out from the bract.
Like the popular Guzmania and Urn Plant, the Pink Quill plant is also a Bromeliad. Desirable because of the exotic and tropical looking flowering bract that it produces. Lasting up to six months they can really add interest to an area for much longer than a bunch of flowers could.
How do you pronounce Tillandsia cyanea correctly? Say:
tih-LAND-see-uh sy-AN-ee-uh
The Pink Quill "Common Name".
The gray Tillandsia Air Plants can look quite dull, whereas the Pink Quill looks vibrant with its bright pink flowering bract that resembles an old fashioned ink quill.
Unfortunately there is no repeat flowering with many Bromeliads and once it's done they're done. Instead they live on either through the seeds they create, or by the offsets the mature plant should produce.
This means the Pink Quill plant is frequently treated as a temporary house guest rather than a permanent resident. That said, the stiff green leaves can have a beauty of their own that some people find attractive.
Like most popular Bromeliad houseplants, once flowering is finished the flowering bract of the Pink Quill plant starts to whither and go brown, followed by the main plant. This can happen immediately or several years later.
So don't expect your plant to reflower (although it does happen rarely), but support and encourage the offsets or "pups" it produces and you can create a "cluster". In time this will produce an attractive large bush which could have multiple flowering bracts as shown in the picture below.
Pink Quill plant care is fairly straightforward and they make great beginner plants. If you're experienced with houseplants then you might be able to take it to the next level and grow it to a larger size like this. - Photo by Cliff.
The offsets can also be separated from the parent plant if desired and grown on as separate individual plants. Although growing a young offset to the flowering stage is rewarding, purchasing a plant already in bloom is still much more common.
The Pink Quill Plants are quite cheap to purchase considering, and they're great modern houseplants with only very basic care requirements. For this reason they're easily found in supermarkets or superstores. Up next are some Tillandsia care tips to help your plant thrive.
Tillandsia Care Guide
Light
You need to avoid direct sunlight to prevent the leaves burning, but good indirect light is needed to quickly grow young plants to a flowering size. Place it near a window where it can receive plenty of light without being exposed to direct sunlight, which can scorch its leaves and bracts.
If your plant is already in flower and you do not intend to keep your Pink Quill around after the flowering has finished then less light is fine.
Watering
The majority of plants belonging to the Tillandsia genus such as the Air Plants don't need much water, however the Pink Quill does need a bit more to do really well. They can be chlorine sensitive so if you are able, provide rain or bottled water instead of tap water.
It doesn't need as much watering as a typical houseplant, but you should water it whenever the soil becomes dry. This may mean a good watering every couple of weeks, more in very hot weather and less in Winter. When in doubt, it's better to water these plants underwater than overwater them.
Humidity
If humidity is low your Tillandsia will appreciate a misting of its leaves occasionally during warm months. It's not overly important in average room conditions, so if you choose not to mist, your plant shouldn't suffer any ill effects.
Feeding
Two feeds a year at standard strength is plenty. Once in early Spring and again in late Summer. You can feed the soil directly like you would most houseplants, or put the solution into a mister and apply it to the leaves.
I don't like throwing away perfectly good houseplants after they're done flowering, especially when it will produce offsets that will flower again for you eventually. But if you're adamant it's going in the compost bin, then you can skip feeding altogether.
Most Tillandsia Cyanea have pink and purple colorings, but there is an uncommon white variety too. Whichever color you go for, they'll make for a tough houseplant and the attractive big bloom coming from the middle of the plant will last for months.
Temperature
Most Bromeliads prefer warm conditions all year round and you may have to provide a temperature for plants on the verge of flowering of around 24°C / 75°F to get that flowering bract to appear. But they're not especially fussy about temperature once they're in flower or very young. Average room temperatures will be fine.
Repotting and Potting Soil
If you buy a Tillandsia already in flower and don't plan to keep it long term, there will be no need to repot at all. If you're growing on a young offset, repot and upsize the pot each spring if the roots have filled the pot.
Don't be concerned if this doesn't happen as the roots of the Pink Quill plant are very basic and compact. It's important there is at least a small amount of space for new roots to grow into and if there is, don't bother repotting.
Top Tip
If you want your new Tillandsia cyanea plant for a long time, and plan to allow the offsets to form around the parent plant, you'll need to go for a container that has some space around the edges to let them grow. This plant could be a good pick for a wide and shallow planter.
The growing medium you choose should ideally be free draining i.e. standard potting compost mixed with a little grit, perlite or orchid bark ought to do the job perfectly well.
In their native habitat they grow as epiphyte plants and typically have very little surrounding and covering their roots. Dense and heavy potting soils that hold lots of water won't be appreciated. They can grow well in a peat moss mix (although this should be avoided if you don't want your houseplant hobby to be bad for the Environment), and coco coir also makes for a great option.
Propagation
As the adult plant starts to end it's flowering cycle, offsets will usually appear around the base. Once the flowering bract and the adult plant starts to decline you can either remove the offsets, trying to retain some of their roots, or leave things as they are.
If you do decide to remove the offsets, pot up into a small pot, providing good light and keep the soil moist. If you've left the offsets where they're growing, in time you will create a sort of "colony" with lots of Pink Quill plants growing close together. Just be sure there is space for them to be able to spread, if there isn't, repot into a wider pot.
Speed of Growth
Tillandsia is quite a small plant even when fully grown, and seeing as it takes two to three years for a young offset to reach flowering size potential the plant grow quite quickly for its size. Although because the end size is still small compared to other houseplants they might not appear to grow very fast at all.
Height / Spread
Including the flowering bract the final height (of a mature plant) will be no more then 25cm / 10in and the spread 20cm / 8in. Clearly if you allow multiple offsets to grow in situ then the spread will be much wider after many years.
Flowers
There are many blue, purple, pink or white flowers that appear on the sides of the flowering bract. The Pink Quill will only have one or two of its dainty flowers open at any one time and they are short lived, perhaps only staying open for a few days at most.
A pink flowering bract with a purple flower attached, rises above the dark green leaves - Photo by Tony Hisgett
Ultimately, it's the flowering bract that is the attraction to these plants, quill shaped and often bright pink; it waves around, looking almost alien-like and easily draws the eye.
This flowering bract can last up to 6 months although the colors may fade somewhat over time to become green. It's usual to buy these Tillandsia already at flowering stage, however if you are growing a young plant on to maturity, you can expect them to appear once it's about three or four years old.
Are the Pink Quill Plants Poisonous?
Like most Bromeliad plants, the Pink Quill is not poisonous to people or pets such as cats and dogs.
Anything else?
Despite it's tropical appearance this is quite a hardy and easy plant to care for so they make great gifts, especially for a writer friend (because of the Quill / Pen link).
However do be careful of very cheap "bargains", because an experienced seller knows when the flowering bract starts to wane the main selling point is about to be lost, as the tough leaves by themselves are dull in comparison.
Tillandsia Plant Problems
Leaves have pale brown patches.
If you have brown, crunchy leaves, then it's likely the leaves have been scorched by the sun. Move to a darker place and if the brown marks are very disfiguring you may wish to consider removing the effected leaves.
Extreme underwatering will eventually dry the plant like this too. It may desperately need a good drink. Again the brown crunchy leaves won't come back to life, so remove them if they're too bad.
Rotting.
If your Pink Quill has any sign of rot then it's going to be down to a watering issue. Too much in most cases.
They need a free draining and light potting mix. Provide good air circulation which will help evaporate water away from the plant and be extra careful in the winter months when the plant will need significantly less water than at other times of the year.
Flowers are falling off before they actually open.
Although the tiny flowers don't add a great deal they do have an appeal, so if you are finding the buds aren't opening then your problem is almost certainly caused by dry air, a watering issue (usually underwatering) or low temperatures.
Check how the plant has been looked after recently and correct what's gone wrong. Increase the humidity by frequent misting (avoiding spraying the actual buds) or try some other tips and tricks.
Flowering bract has become green and the plant is looking ill.
The tiny flowers pop out of the flowering bract over several months, after which the bract starts to brown off. In time it will lose the bright pink and become green.
Some months later the main plant may also start to look poorly, although by this point offsets should be growing strongly. Basically what you have described is totally normal and not an indication you've done something wrong.
No flowers on my Pink Quill Plant
Your Tillandsia will only flower when it is old enough to do so. If things are good you should get a flowering stalk after 3 or 4 years. If it's gone beyond this time the temperature may be too low - it's recommended the temperature needs to be around 24°C / 75°F or a little above this to induce flowering.
Plant going brown and not savable.
Follow my indoor Bromeliad growing guide detailed above for best results. However sometime after flowering, this "going downhill" look is to be expected. How long before this starts to happen will vary from a few weeks to a year or more. If it happens quicker than you'd like then the likely cause is potentially overwatering or some other incorrect care.
While they do need water, they don't require as much as many other houseplants. It's better to underwater your Pink Quill plant rather than overwater it. If you're sure it's not a watering issue, go back through my guide and see if you're missing anything.
About the Author
Tom Knight
Over the last 20 years, Tom has successfully owned hundreds of houseplants and is always happy to share knowledge and lend his horticulture skills to those in need. He is the leading content writer for the Ourhouseplants Team.
Also on Ourhouseplants.com
Air Plants (Tillandsia)Staghorn FernsZZ Plant (Zamioculcas Zamifolia)(Rubber Plant) Ficus elastica
Credit for the Tillandsia photo in the "Flowers" section - Article / Gallery - Tony Hisgett
Credit for the Tillandsia in the Gallery - Paula7K
Credit for the large group of Pink Quills - Article / Gallery - Cliff
