Abromeitiella brevifolia

It si known as Deuterocohnia brevifolia, Abromeitiella chlorantha, Navia brevifolia, Tillandsia chlorantha, and it probably is the most famous species of the genus Abromeitiella: we are talking about Abromeitiella brevifolia, a succulent of South american origin which naturally grows in northern Argentina and the adjacent areas of Bolivia. It is characterized by its typical pillow-like shaped bushes, made of dense rosettes of triangular, bright-green leaves able to catch air humidity, which confer it a compact and fluffy appearance (but don't get deceived, it is very spiky indeed!).A. brevifolia starts to bloom in January, and keep on until the end of May/the beginning of June. The flowers grow from the centre of the rosettes, and they may seem insignificant, mostly because of their green-yellowish shade similar to the leaves colour; however, we suggest you to observe carefully to really enjoy the finesse of these little, lovely, cylindrical-shaped flowers. You can help your Abromeitiella to keep its unique and distinctive shape putting it in a bright place: this plant loves light exposure, so we recommend for it full sunlight mostly during the first hours of the day. To enhance its beauty, you can grow it in bowls or in little and shallow pots, using soft and especially well-drained soil (sand and inert materials will be perfect for this purpose). The growth rate is quite slow, so you won't need to repot it every year; anyway, when it will be necessary, do it very carefully to avoid its body splitting up in several little plants – which can happen also because of the small size of its root system. You can get a good outcome placing your Abromeitiella in rock gardens: it would nicely recall its natural habitat, but remember to repair the plant during the rainy season! Even if it is very hardy to temperatures below 0°c, this succulent would get damaged by the combination of cold and humidity, so during winter repair it inside your house or in a greenhouse, and water it sporadically. From March to October, water every two weeks letting the soil get dry before watering again; every three weeks you can add a specific fertilizer, feeding for no more than three times a year. The only unwanted guests you could find on your plant are aphids and scale insects, quite common parasites that anyway should be treated immediately. Propagation can be done by division – the structural characteristic that may cause some troubles during repotting become a great help here- or by scions (don't cut them, but rip them out!). We can generally say that A. Brevifolia is a hardy and resistant succulent, easy to grow and therefore suitable for those who are beginners in the cactus and succulents word: a must-have for novices and experts!