Originally Posted by
Psion
Rooney wins. it is indeed a bromeliad variety, or Tillandsia cyanea to be precise. they're easy to find in most houseplant sections in garden centers like lowes and armstrong. you're not totally incorrect in calling it a cactus though - bromeliads often live in nooks and crannies of trees (air plants also fall under this category) and so they're used to infrequent watering. the roots are mainly used for anchoring, so instead spray em a few times a week with a mister to keep em happy, and water the roots every week to week and a half. one of the few times where "try hitting it with a water bottle" is a good thing!
and don't freak out when the main plant dies after the flowers done blooming after a few months - thats normal. you can continue growing it from the offshoots produced at the base, but each rosette dies after it's finished blooming.