November 15, 2025

This is a Southern Needleleaf Airplant

It's a small, pointy Bromeliad

It looks like it's just a wad of pine needles

But there's so much more to it than that.

It's in the Pineapple family

It's not related to pines that's a fact.

Location: Hallstrom House Conservation Area

Sources: https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/frank/savebromeliads/floridas-bromeliads/Tillandsia-setecea.html

Photo and text © 2025 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

If you are reading and enjoying this blog, please consider supporting me on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/deeat8am, or purchase my current book, The Rhyming Guide to Florida Spiders (details at https://deeateightam.blogspot.com/p/rhyming-guide-to-florida-spiders-now.html). Thank you for being a reader and friend of Dee at 8 A.M.

March 12, 2024

This is known as a Southern Needleleaf Airplant

It is common in hammocks and swamps

It is epiphytic and can grow to be 12 inches long

With 3 to 6 inch flower stalks.

Location: UF DeLuca Preserve 2024 Bioblitz

Sources: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/UW205

Photo and text © 2024 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

If you are reading and enjoying this blog, please consider supporting me on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/deeat8am, or purchase my current book, The Rhyming Guide to Florida Spiders (details at https://deeateightam.blogspot.com/p/rhyming-guide-to-florida-spiders-now.html). Thank you for being a reader and friend of Dee at 8 A.M.

January 21, 2022

This is a Southern Needleleaf Airplant

It can grow on tree trunks in swamps

It is a Bromeliad related to pineapple

And you can grow one from seeds, if that's what you want.

Location: St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park, Fellsmere

Sources: https://regionalconservation.org/beta/nfyn/plantdetail.asp?tx=Tillseta

Photo and text © 2022 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

September 10, 2020

This is Tillandsia setacea
Commonly called Southern Needleleaf
In Florida, this plant is not threatened
Mexican bromeliad weevils have bigger things to eat.

Location: Fellsmere, St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park

Sources: http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/frank/savebromeliads/floridas-bromeliads/Tillandsia-utriculata.html
http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/frank/savebromeliads/floridas-bromeliads/Tillandsia-setecea.html

Photo and text © 2020 Dee Fairbanks Simpson