In Bloom This Week at HSNY

In our Green Screen here at HSNY we get to have a lot of fun growing a wide array of plants. Among them we have a number of epiphytic species, including these Tillandsia, or air plants as they are commonly called. They are situated in a trough of moisture retentive gravel and get watered and misted a couple times a week this time of year. After a day in the field working at a Green Branches Learning Garden in Brooklyn yesterday I came in this morning to find these showy pink blossoms emerging from the rigid green leaves. Well, technically speaking the pink portions are showy bracts and the flowers will actually be smaller and emerge from the tiny purple buds you see. But either way, a great little show.
If you are in the neighborhood come in and visit to see these spectacular plants. The blooms will not last too terribly long as the office is considerably more dry compared to the humid locales of Central America where the genus is naturally indigenous.
The HSNY Green Screen was designed by Marpillero Pollak Architects, installed by David Melrose, and is maintained by those of us here at The Horticultural Society of New York. It is a living work in progress, and along with the HSNY library and exhibitions gallery, is open to the pulbic Monday through Friday from 10am to 6pm.

Hope to see you soon.