SOLÉA HERBAL — Plants, their properties, your balance.

Identity & origin

BOTANICAL IDENTITY

The right name is the first step.

Tillandsia cacticola is an accepted species in Plants of the World Online, in the Bromeliaceae family. Bussmann and Sharon’s survey documents it in northern Peru under the local names Palmera, Siempre Viva, Palma Bendita, Siempreviva (lilac). Recorded material: fresh leaves and stems. References include VFCHL17, RBU/PL375, RBU/PL289, GER123 and JULS307. Siempre Viva denotes several plants in the supplement, including other bromeliads and an Echeveria; the vernacular colour qualifier lilac is not sufficient to identify them. This entry follows the botanical identity and context of the record; it is not an identification key for collecting plants.

Part used: Fresh leaves and stems
Origin & distribution: Native range reported by Kew: Peru. The uses presented come from the northern Peru survey; the interview location does not establish where a marketed batch grew wild.

Also known as: Palmera, Siempre Viva, Palma Bendita, Siempreviva (lilac)

Check the binomial Tillandsia cacticola and the actual plant part. The local names Palmera, Siempre Viva, Palma Bendita, Siempreviva (lilac) alone do not guarantee botanical identity; properties of a related species cannot be transferred.

An illustration is not enough to identify a plant for consumption. Do not forage for a species based solely on this profile.

Uses & evidence

UNDERSTANDING THE USES

Properties & uses.

Reported historical use

Uses reported in northern Peru

The study reports leaves and stems in external preparations and a compound drink, with references to nerves, anxiety, gas and heart. Spiritual-flowering and seguro uses are also recorded. Cultural categories and symptoms are not equated with established medical diagnoses. These reports establish neither a causal relationship nor clinical effectiveness. Described methods are ethnographic observations, without advice to prepare or take the plant.

Use reported in a survey or inventory. This establishes neither benefit nor safety.

Read the source

The traditional uses described are not clinical proof of effectiveness. Evidence for one preparation cannot automatically be applied to another.

Precautions before use

BEFORE ANY USE

Precautions & contraindications.

This guidance does not cover every individual situation. Missing information is not a guarantee of safety.

The following warnings do not constitute a complete review of interactions or contraindications. An unstudied combination cannot be considered compatible.

Contraindications & precautions

The selected sources provide no complete clinical assessment of contraindications for this species. Their silence does not establish safety.
Medical or pharmaceutical advice is required before medicinal use, particularly with a chronic condition or persistent symptoms.

Medicine interactions

Interactions with medicines are not evaluated in the cited ethnobotanical survey. Ask a pharmacist to assess the exact species, plant part and product; do not discontinue prescribed treatment.

“Reported” does not prove causality; “possible” may reflect indirect evidence. “None reported” means none in the cited source, not that all combinations have been studied. Do not stop a prescribed treatment based on this profile.

Adverse effects

The use inventory contains no monitoring that could establish the frequency or severity of adverse effects. No safe dose is inferred from the described practices.

Pregnancy & breastfeeding

Pregnancy and breastfeeding: the selected sources do not establish safety for this medicinal use. Do not self-medicate; seek appropriate professional advice.

Children & adolescents

Any uses reported in children validate neither safety nor a paediatric dose. Do not independently use this plant medicinally in children; consult a professional.

If symptoms persist, worsen or are unusual, consult a healthcare professional. In an emergency, contact the emergency services.

Bussmann & Sharon (2006) — Additional file 1, p. 20, Tillandsia cacticola Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew — Plants of the World Online: Tillandsia cacticola L.B.Sm.Bussmann & Sharon (2006) — Traditional medicinal plant use in Northern Peru: tracking two thousand years of healing culture

Sources & last review

CHECKING REFERENCES

Sources for this profile.

Bussmann & Sharon (2006) — Additional file 1, p. 20, Tillandsia cacticolaAccessed on 09/10/2026
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew — Plants of the World Online: Tillandsia cacticola L.B.Sm.Accessed on 09/10/2026
Bussmann & Sharon (2006) — Traditional medicinal plant use in Northern Peru: tracking two thousand years of healing cultureAccessed on 09/10/2026

Image: Eduardo Dios Alemán · CC BY-SA 4.0. View the original image and its licence. Image resized and converted to WebP.