The pink quill plant is a stunning addition to any indoor plant collection. It is relatively small in stature, yet the pink quill flower that rises in the middle and out to the side is a unique feature worth celebrating.
What’s amazing about them is that they are relatively low maintenance.
The name pink quill plant comes from the flower’s center that strongly resembles a quill-like feather.
The light pink color of the flower is incredibly striking. This is likely one of the main reasons why this plant is so popular among house plant enthusiasts.
The pink quill plant is considered the ideal houseplant if you are someone who spends a lot of time away from home and does not have a lot of time to forage your plants.
They flourish in dry conditions, and even demonstrate great toughness as seasons change.
What You Will Learn: This guide will provide you with everything you need to know about how to care for a pink quill plant so you can maximize the flower’s stunning characteristics. A step by step comprehensive guide to keeping your pink quill thriving in your home!
Where Do Pink Quill Plants Come From
The pink quill plant is also known as Tillandsia Cyanea.
Often confused with being an orchid flower, in reality, the plant is native to the warm tropics of South America in Ecuador. In fact, people call it the fan flower because the flower opens flat and looks two-dimensional.
However, commonly, it is referred to as pink quill plant, which the flower resembles a quill pen. The flower resembles the feather on the end of the ink pen.
The main color of the plant’s flower is a light pastel pink, hence, it was given the common name – Pink Quill plant.
The plant’s roots are small in size, but allow this plant to attach to a tree in its natural habitat, and even do well as an air plant.
The roots do not draw up water, but rather gather moisture and nutrients through their leaves.
General Pink Quill Care Guide
Pink quill plants are uncomplicated to upkeep because they thrive in dry conditions, and they are hardy plants throughout the seasonal changes.
That said, there are some base care principles to follow to achieve the best from your flowering pink quill plant.
We will discuss these principles here.
How to Water Pink Quill
A pink quill plant does not require a large amount of water.
However, compared to other Tillandsia types, this type is rather thirsty.
Do not be mistaken when I say thirsty, the pink quill plant still does not require much water.
In hotter months, even as the roots are usually more dry than in temperate months, you can water your pink quill every two weeks with just a little hand sprayer.
As soon as you see an excess of water on the leaves or in the dish (if you have the pink quill in soil), remove the excess water as soon as possible.
In fact, some experts actually recommend united pink quill owners only mist their plants at all once every week.
Again, only in hotter months. Once it cools down in November-March months, mist the pink quill not very much, as the plant doesn’t need it.
Note: In winter months, you could get away with misting every three weeks lightly, and you want to avoid over-watering the pink quill as root rot is a big issue for the pink quill plant.
Sunlight
To keep the pink flower blooming for as long as possible, it’s best to place the plant in the sunniest location.
If your pink quill plant is not blooming, that’s an indication that it’s not getting enough sun.
If at all possible, placing your pink quill plant in a window where the sun rises or sets would be the best place for the plant.
But if not, if there is a location in your home that gets sun for the whole day then a pink quill plant will also thrive in that location.
Again, do not put in direct sunlight. The plant typically grows in the shade in its native habitat.
Indoor or Outdoor
Deciding to keep your pink quill plant indoors or outside is primarily a function of how cold your winters get.
If your area experiences heavy rainfall, you should ideally not keep your pink quill outside either.
Pink quills like the indoors better because it tends to be both warm and dry.
They are also perfect to keep indoors because they do not require heavy watering so there is little risk of muck.
They also are a lovely accent and will give your indoor space a dash of greenery.
Temperature
Pink quills should be kept at temperatures higher than four degrees celsius (4℃) if they go into lower temperatures, you may lose your plant.
Because they are used to warm humid climates of South America, a similar environment is going to help your pink quill plant a lot.
Essentially, aim to keep your pink quill plant in an environment of around 23°c. Keeping them indoors is probably best.
They’re just going to do well in similar temperatures as people, which makes them a great plant friend.
What Soil Is Best
In nature, Pink quill plants grow by attaching themselves to trees.
They do not grow in soil. Their roots are tiny and fragile. If you want to keep them in a pot or container, you will need a very light soil that drains easily.
Use soil that does not hold a lot of moisture. Pink quills do not uptake water from their roots. They are also prone to root rot.
Important Note: These plants uptake nutrients and moisture from their leaves which is why it is best to have their roots placed in an area that is dry.
Why Is My Pink Quill Plant Losing Color?
As your pink quill plant ages, it is normal for it to lose its pink color as part of its life cycle.
There is very little you can do to prevent the quill part of the plant from losing its color, but there are things that you can do to prolong the plant’s pinkness in the overall plant.
The pink in the plant will usually last a while, and will then start to lose its color as it ages.
Because most people purchase the plant after it has matured, it doesn’t take long for the plant to start aging after you purchase the plant or a few months after the plant has been established.
If you keep your plant in the sunlight and do not overwater it, the plant will last much longer.
By keeping up with the right conditions and general plant care, this can prolong the aging process.
When Do Pink Quill Plants Flower?
Pink quills bloom during the warm summer months.
This is why it is preferable to position them in a very bright sunny and warm location in the home.
While it is beautiful, the pink quill that pops up in the center of the leaves, is not actually the flower.
The quill will develop two purple flowers on either side of the quill, just before the pinkness dies down.
How Long Do Pink Quill Flowers Last?
When the pink quill plant is kept in its optimal conditions, the central pink quill itself can last as long as 4 months before it starts to fade.
The actual purple flowers that grow on either side of the pink quill once it is mature only last approximately one day.
Can You Trim The Leaves of a Hawaiian Pink Quill Plant?
The pink quill plant draws its moisture and nutrients from its leaves.
Since pink quills do not have extensive roots, they rely on their leaves to absorb sunlight and water, and they do not need much water, but they do like sunlight.
If you are the proud owner of a pink quill plant and want to keep it alive for as long as possible, we would recommend against trimming the leaves.
What to avoid: Pink quills love sunny environments and will flower if they are happy. Since the leaves are a place of sunlight, if you trim these leaves, it will likely derail the flowering cycle.
When To Remove Your Pink Quill’s Flowers
When the pink quill begins to die off, it produces two purple flowers.
These last around a day, but they’re a signal that the pink quill grass has reached its full maturity in the life cycle.
Once the purple flowers have wilted and died off, you will be able to remove the faded pink quill in a couple weeks.
If you want to propagate the plant, cutting back the faded quill will open up the opportunity for new puds or pups.
These will be able to grow at different times to always have a pink quill in sight.
How Many Times a Year Do Pink Quills Flower?
Pink quills will bloom when they are fully matured, which will take around 2 – 3 years.
It then produces offsets, called pups, and you can take these from the parent plant and propagate them to make more plants.
After the pink quill has died, do not write off the plant just yet!
Keep the remaining leaves of the pant in the same conditions.
Use the same quantity of water, keep it in the same amount of sunlight, and ensure the temperature stays the same too.
Why Is My Pink Quill Turning Green?
When the pink quills start to fade away, once they have worn out their life, they first turn green.
It’s a perfectly normal aging process and doesn’t mean you’ve done anything wrong in taking care of it.
In fact, it is a sign of a healthy plant, as it feels it can reproduce.
To make it even better, once the pink quill has gone from pink to green to brown, you can remove it to make room for the pups to grow. You can propagate the pups into new plants for even more plants!
How to Propagate Pink Quills
Wait until the pink quill of the plant begins to die.
There will be a pup at the base of the plant that begins to form in a similar location to the dying pink quill.
You have two options for propagating your pink quill plant, you can either remove the baby from the base of the plant or the dying pink quill.
- If you are opting to remove the baby, you must have to repot. If you are going to plant your pink quill plants in soil, you should be very careful with the roots. You can also mount the new pup on a hanging surface around the house. Since the plants do well as air plants, and are easy to care for, this should work well. If you mount them as air plants, you may need to occasionally mist them with water to ensure they maintain some moisture.
- Your second option is to get rid of the dying quill, which will allow the new pup to grow freely.
If you keep the pink quill plant in happy conditions. You will likely get a new pink quill any time with the year.
Conclusion
It is simple to care for your pink quill plant.
They are very low maintenance, thus, do not require excessive watering.
When you place your pink quill plant in ideal growing conditions, you will be rewarded with a stunning house plant.
Once you get into the habit of propagating your pink quill plant, you can enjoy the unique pink quill all year round.
You can stagger the flowering time of the different plants blooming at varying times throughout the course of the year.