Hello, my xerographica is blooming and it is taking months to develop it seems like, it is really pretty. Once the bloom opens and is spent, do I need to cut it off? Will the plant die? Will it bloom again? Will it produce offspring? If anyone has any experience with these to share that would be great!!!
Please show it after it has bloomed open. I had a little Air plant and it bloomed.
After that the bloom dried up. Now there is a Pup growing on the side.
Maybe this is what yours will do.
Like most Bromeliads, it's apical dominant. Once the growing tip morphs from growing to blooming, that shoot is done. While it's actively growing, these tips excrete enzymes that inhibit dormant buds along the stem from breaking (some a lot less than others). Once the bloomong cycle begins, several of these inactive buds will begin to grow into pups (offsets) that will eventually form complete new plants. Remove the old "browned" leaves so the new pup gets good light. Xerographia is one that typically only produces one, sometimes two of these. While blooming, the plant is putting all it's energy into that activity, so you have to wait until it's done (including prodcition of seed if the right pollinators are present - unlikely in culture) before you will get any offsets.
Xerographica, like many tillandsias, grows in arid conditions, very slowly. In nature (Mexico, I believe) it has become over-collected and is one of the Tillandsias in the CITES protected plants. Along with T. strepophylla it's one of the most popular of the arid growing larger ones.
In summary, just be patient!
Dave.
