A rare hybrid of Hechtia argentea x tillandsioides named after Dorothy Byer. It Is not clear if this is a natural hybrid or a man-made hybrid, but was named by Dorothy along with Dutch Vandervort.

Hechtia hybrids are very rarely made as it takes a male and female plant, blooming at the same time, not just two different plants. A large grower with very many narrow, tapering leaves in a full, leafy rosette. The leaves arch gracefully, somewhat recurving. The marginal spines are very reduced, but are sharp and the plant should be handled with caution as the leaf edges can cut your skin quite easily. 

A species of Central Mexico that is quite unlike most other Hechtias in that its leaves are thin, long and grassy. The plant has the general appearance of the top portion of a ponytail palm. Leaf margins are finely serrated, like sawgrass and will cut you quite handily if you are careless.

The inflorescence varies in color, but is usually beautiful shades of light blue to a bit lavender, very striking and quite large with many branches. The plants can reach over three feet tall and wide in large clusters in nature, but in cultivation tends to remain smaller. Normally blooms only occur after forming a cluster of plants.

Some leaf tips may be trimmed.

*VIPP plants are Offsets

A species from Tamaulipas state of Mexico. An easy to grow species that forms large, silvery-scurfy rosettes. Oddly, the offsets come off with soft, glabrous leaves, developing the scurfy appearance that protects them from the sun, as they mature. The narrow, spiny leaves are rather soft (for a Hechtia) and the tips naturally die back and curl.

Long known as Hechtia species Huamelula, this rare and beautiful species has been around for about thirty years but never common. It lives only very high on cliff faces in Huamelula Canyon of Oaxaca, Mexico where it is rare and difficult to access. The plants form rosettes up to 15 inches or more across with very broad, heavily scurffed, thickly succulent leaves that recurve at the tips. Very large marginal spines give the leaf margins a scalloped look. Now newly described as H. lanata. A slow grower that is very seldom available.

*VIPP plants are seed-grown

Both parents of this Ray Lemieux cross of Hechtia lanata x myriantha have some interesting characteristics that should express themselves when the plants grow out. The seed parent, H. lanata, has broad, scurfy, twisting and curling leaves in habitat, which is a tropical desert environment on nutrient poor cliffs.

In cultivation, seedlings of this species tend to have straighter foliage, at least here in sea-level Florida. The pollen parent, H. myriantha, is a giant grower, perhaps the largest of all Hechtia species. Anecdotal stories report that this plant can reach the size of a VW Beetle! The intent of this cross was to produce a large growing hybrid with twisted foliage and silvery scurf. Only time will tell if that will happen. 

NO HOLDING - MUST SHIP IMMEDIATELY

*TRIMMED LEAF TIPS

A very fine smaller species with thickly succulent, very silvery to almost fuzzy leaves. Native to Southwestern Mexico, this clone is one from the collection of Ruby Ryde in Australia. A very nice, compact clone with very thick, silvery-white leaves. This species is easy to grow, will mature in a 6 inch pot but would do best in a larger container as the plant will form a cluster with time. The inflorescence is pink to purplish and plants are either male or female.

*VIPP plants are ready for a 6" pot

This Tropiflora hybrid definitely came out looking more like the H. coerulea parent, with semi-stiff, green, grassy leaves. The leaf margins, although 'spineless', are very sharp and can give a swift ’paper cut’ to the unwary. For something unusual, give one a try!