A nice form of nudicaulis that Wally Berg brought back from a Brazil trip some years ago. We do not know the exact type, though it looks a lot like capitata in general shape. A stout, wide leaved, tubular rosette with stiff green to yellowish leaves with a slight red marginal blush, red apiculate tips and prominent black spines.

The plants have the typical ‘thumb print’ of the species and produce offsets of short, stout stolons. A decorative plant for mounting or for a hanging basket.

*VIPP plants are Offsets

Ben Sill’s intergeneric hybrid is a cultivar of Billbergia pyramidalis x Aechmea recurvata and it keeps the best characteristics of both parents. The overall shape of the plant is that of an Ae. recurvata, with fairly stiff, pointed leaves forming a slightly bulbous, vase shape. As typical with Ae. recurvata, the center whorl of leaves shortens before anthesis and frames the inflorescence in a whorl of short, broad, pointed leaves, but there is no leaf blush at anthesis. The inflorescence is a good copy of the Bil. pyramidalis parent, with brilliant red flowers and scurfy red bracts. The upside is that the inflorescence lasts longer than the Billbergia parent. All in all a really interesting, colorful plant.

*VIPP plants are OFFSETS - NOT the mature blooming plant in the photo

A spectacular and fairly large grower has an upright open rosette shape to about 24 inches across. The inflorescence is a massive panicle of reddish orange berries that stays in color for many months. Extremely showy.

A cultivar of (calyculata x recurvata) is a tough and handsome small grower that keeps a compact shape in varying light conditions. The recurvata parent lends an upright, compact, vase-like shape, and the calyculata parent adds the bright yellow flowering inflorescence. Nice for landscape around boulders.

*VIPP plants are Offsets