# Artifically colored Tillandsia Red Abdita...



## Tetra73 (Mar 12, 2015)

My first post and I have a problem, kind of. I bought some airplants from a e--bay vendor. Item number is 181718924100. I thought it was the Tillandsia Red Abdita I bought. It turns out the red was artificially colored. The red isn't natural. The underside of the leaves is green while the surface is red. Not fully red but it has certain spray paint marks on it. One of the leaves still has a line of green streak because that area didn't get painted over. Well, I am upset because I was expecting to get a naturally red Tillandsia not artificially colored one. I sent a message to seller and asked him about what's deal with the color. Haven't received a reply yet. 

I am new to terrarium and vivarium but very experienced in planted aquarium. I didn't expect vendors would sell their plants with fake color and up their price as well.


----------



## Aldross (Dec 30, 2013)

Ebay is full of shady folks. It's best to get your plants from someone that deals in for hobby or is a hobbyist themselves. If you want nice plants talk to BonnieLorraine. She's good people and has loads of plants.


----------



## Tetra73 (Mar 12, 2015)

Aldross said:


> Ebay is full of shady folks. It's best to get your plants from someone that deals in for hobby or is a hobbyist themselves. If you want nice plants talk to BonnieLorraine. She's good people and has loads of plants.


Thanks. Going to return them...


----------



## Dane (Aug 19, 2004)

Based on the ebay pics, I see no reason to assume they are painted. Tillies and broms can color up in flecks depending on conditions and species. Here is another picture of a T. abdita from a grower in my area: http://wholesaletillandsias.com/web_images/dscn0329.jpg.


----------



## Tetra73 (Mar 12, 2015)

Dane said:


> Based on the ebay pics, I see no reason to assume they are painted. Tillies and broms can color up in flecks depending on conditions and species. Here is another picture of a T. abdita from a grower in my area: http://wholesaletillandsias.com/web_images/dscn0329.jpg.


Yeah but the ones I got are really blood red and the plants aren't blooming. I just got them yesterday and they have been in transit for 2 days, and no roots. Also, only the surface is red, not the underside. Strange. What is even strange is that even the stem has some red tint on it, even on the leaf cutting, damage area. Then, there is the clear line green streak mark as if the adjacent leaf was in the way and blocked the paint from painting over the leaf underneath it. 

They do look nice but I didn't feel like paying close to $5 for one when the same plant, greener looking, would cost a lot less.


----------



## epiphytes etc. (Nov 22, 2010)

I've been seeing a lot of those dyed tillies lately. Just another cheap gimmick akin to straw flowers on cacti.


----------



## BrainBug (Aug 25, 2010)

I've been seeing those painted ones out here for a couple years now, not sure where they are originating from.


----------



## Tetra73 (Mar 12, 2015)

Here is the photo.

Artificially colored tilandsia by vracing, on Flickr


----------



## Okapi (Oct 12, 2007)

The person who painted that one did better than the ones i've been seeing at floral shops and hardware stores lately. I've seen some where the plant was sprayed for so long that the smallest leaves in the center were glued down by the dried paint. They also come in hot pink and blue by the way. 


Neherp has nice Tillandsias with color that is NOT painted on. And i'm sure they can special order you anything that you don't see on their site.
New England Herpetoculture LLC - Tillandsias


----------



## Tetra73 (Mar 12, 2015)

Here is another shot of the lower stem area. Normally (based on my observations and years in growing aquatic plants), the lower stem section, where the growth isn't prolific and not receiving that much light, would remain green. Dead and damage areas do not remain red as well. 

In this shot, you can clearly see some red paint got onto to the lower stem, near where the roots should be.

DSC_3509 by vracing, on Flickr


----------



## gnathaniel (Mar 26, 2013)

Um, did you ask the seller about this before posting to a public forum? Nothing about the plant in your pictures looks painted to me, it just looks like a healthy Tillandsia that has been well-grown in very bright light--some species, like abdita, do stay red a lot of the time under the right conditions, and if the reddening is a response to high light it will usually be most prominent in those areas most exposed to the sun. Nothing else I saw from that seller looks doctored either, though I didn't take the time to look at every last listing.

Lack of roots on an otherwise healthy Tillandsia (which you definitely appear to have) is also not cause for concern, since they primarily use roots for anchoring and not nutrient absorption, which is mostly through the foliage. I have mid-size clumps of a few species with hardly any visible roots. Personally I'd say you got a decent deal on a less-common Tillandsia species, but certainly take it up with the seller if you have a complaint...


----------



## cml1287 (Mar 29, 2012)

Yeah, dude, your plant is fine - in fact it looks great. It's probably not spray painted, and it's super common for tillandsias to not have roots at all.


----------



## Tetra73 (Mar 12, 2015)

gnathaniel said:


> Um, did you ask the seller about this before posting to a public forum? Nothing about the plant in your pictures looks painted to me, it just looks like a healthy Tillandsia that has been well-grown in very bright light--some species, like abdita, do stay red a lot of the time under the right conditions, and if the reddening is a response to high light it will usually be most prominent in those areas most exposed to the sun. Nothing else I saw from that seller looks doctored either, though I didn't take the time to look at every last listing.
> 
> Lack of roots on an otherwise healthy Tillandsia (which you definitely appear to have) is also not cause for concern, since they primarily use roots for anchoring and not nutrient absorption, which is mostly through the foliage. I have mid-size clumps of a few species with hardly any visible roots. Personally I'd say you got a decent deal on a less-common Tillandsia species, but certainly take it up with the seller if you have a complaint...


Well, he just got back to me and approved my return. He didn't argue with me but pointed out the fine prints about "color added." 

He is paying for the return shipping.


----------



## Tetra73 (Mar 12, 2015)

cml1287 said:


> Yeah, dude, your plant is fine - in fact it looks great. It's not spray painted, and it's super common for tillandsias to not have roots at all.


No, is not. I picked up another Tilandsia red from my local orchid wholesaler in NYC. Man, all airplants $3 each and no tax.  In various sizes. Why I didn't know earlier?? 1/3, the top, of the plant is slightly red. The rest of the plant is still green.


----------



## planted-tnk-guy (Mar 9, 2014)

I will say the seller is stellar for giving your money back and paying the shipping on something that was not his fault. Artificial or not it looked damn good and no one would have been the wiser and it would have added some nice bright color to a bowl of fruit on the table if nothing else.


----------



## Tetra73 (Mar 12, 2015)

planted-tnk-guy said:


> I will say the seller is stellar for giving your money back and paying the shipping on something that was not his fault. Artificial or not it looked damn good and no one would have been the wiser and it would have added some nice bright color to a bowl of fruit on the table if nothing else.


I thought about keeping them but...not sure if the dye or color would block the leaves from absorbing moisture from the atmosphere. Here is the tillandsia from my local orchid wholesaler. 

DSC_3515 by vracing, on Flickr


----------



## Dane (Aug 19, 2004)

Tetra73 said:


> I thought about keeping them but...not sure if the dye or color would block the leaves from absorbing moisture from the atmosphere. Here is the tillandsia from my local orchid wholesaler.
> 
> DSC_3515 by vracing, on Flickr


That is a GREAT looking display! Just be aware that several of those plants will require regular pruning in order to keep them from overwhelming the viv.


----------



## Tetra73 (Mar 12, 2015)

Dane said:


> That is a GREAT looking display! Just be aware that several of those plants will require regular pruning in order to keep them from overwhelming the viv.


Thanks. I may just keep them since I am air mounting my phals, by the back of the tank, which would leave some large empty space around the bottom of the driftwood.


----------



## BrainBug (Aug 25, 2010)

Yeah, really nice looking tank. 

Also, I think you did the right thing, I would not put those painted/dyed plants in a vivarium either for fear of what might be contained in that coloring product. 

Going back and looking through some of the people we've gotten tillandsia from there is at least one wholesaler who sells "enhanced" T. Abdita. I have no doubt your plant was colored by unnatural means.


----------



## planted-tnk-guy (Mar 9, 2014)

Tetra73 said:


> I thought about keeping them but...not sure if the dye or color would block the leaves from absorbing moisture from the atmosphere. Here is the tillandsia from my local orchid wholesaler.
> 
> DSC_3515 by vracing, on Flickr


I was just kidding I wouldn't have kept it either lol. Great looking tank too


----------

