Flower profile
Giant airplant
Tillandsia utriculata
Giant airplant is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Florida it's most often seen in bloom in May–July.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Florida
Quick look
Tillandsia utriculata, commonly known as the spreading airplant, the giant airplant, or wild pine is a species of bromeliad that is native to Florida and Georgia in the United States, the Caribbean, southern and eastern Mexico, Central America, and Venezuela.
- It belongs to the Bromeliaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 2 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Florida. NatureServe
- In Florida, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–July. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 4,989 research-grade sightings of it in Florida, ranking #34 among the 110 flowers on our Florida list. iNaturalist
Giant airplant gift ideas
Handmade giant airplant gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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Giant airplant art print
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Giant airplant greeting card
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Giant airplant mug
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Giant airplant earrings
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Giant airplant embroidery pattern
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Giant airplant sticker
When does it bloom?
In Florida, most flowering sightings come in May–July.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
- Florida
- State endangered On Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055): state endangered. NatureServe: S3, vulnerable in Florida. FAC 5B-40.0055
- Rare elsewhere
- No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Please don't pick or dig this flower: it's on Florida's rare plant list (state endangered); NatureServe ranks it S3 in Florida. FAC 5B-40.0055 NatureServe
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records giant airplant in 2 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Florida, Georgia.
Florida counties with USDA records: Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, DeSoto, Flagler, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Lucie, Sumter, Volusia.
More Florida flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile TIUT.
- iNaturalist, Tillandsia utriculata: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Tillandsia utriculata (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Florida: Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055).
- Florida: Florida Noxious Weed List (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-57.007).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Tillandsia utriculata (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Sterling Herron via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.