One of the more unusual of all Tillandsias because of its habit of producing offsets all along its three foot long inflorescence, as well as in the more usual manner. A handsome plant with rather stiff leaves arranged in a more open rosette. This form of flexuosa is apparently native only to Venezuela, with two major colonies of slightly different plants. One colony occurs on the north coast where it often grows in large numbers in shrubs, trees and cacti on the seaside cliffs. Large clusters of these plants weigh down the limbs of the local scrub-type vegetation, often breaking loose and falling into the sea.

The other colony is in the Andes, near Merida, where it grows mainly in large clusters on the ground and in some low shrubbery. This form has thicker leaves and is larger and more open in shape. An easy to grow species that thrives mounted in a warm environment. 

This Guatemalan plant is a living pincushion. A marble-sized plant, with 2 inch long, needle-fine leaves and a 6 inch tall inflorescence of orange with blue flowers. Easily grown in a breezy spot, mounted. Will form little clusters. This species was commonly known as Til. argentina ‘fine leaf‘ but this name is not valid.

This is a form of this lithophytic species from Venezuela that grows to nearly 10 inches tall, or at least generally larger than most other clones. Other than that it is typical, needle like ¾ inch long leaves on a long stem, silvery green, tinting red in good light and blushing deep red at the crown near anthesis. Flaring, tubular flowers are bright red.

A very orange-blushing clone of Tillandsia funckiana from the collection of Herb Hill.  We don’t know much else about it but as with all T. funckiana, it’s a species from Venezuela that grows on bare rock on exposed cliffs.  The blooms are brilliant crimson and appear in winter.  It, like all other T. funckiana, forms large clusters over time.  A superb clone.

A robust form of Tillandsia funckiana that we got from a collector in Colombia.  We are not sure of the exact origin although most of the similar clones come from the Andes of Venezuela near the Colombia border.  The stems grow to 10 inches or so and have needle thing leaves to just over an inch long.  The leaves curve upward but this form is quite different from v. recurvifolia.  The overall color is green with a coating of silver trichomes and a red blush in strong light and at anthesis.  This form is like all others; a cliff dweller that forms cascading clusters.

A nice form of the somewhat variable Tillandsia funckiana, this clone from near Lagunillas, Merida, Venezuela.  A plant that came to us from the collection of the Marie Selby Botanical gardens with their accession number of SEL 1975-0090.  A silvery plant with nicely upright stems and very slender, silvery leaves that recurve slightly upward.  Not much of a blush at anthesis, but the leaves can tint slightly pink in good light.

Formerly Tillandsia pucarensis this species from Peru is a fairly large plant with semi-soft gray foliage and an erect simple or barely branched pink inflorescence. The narrow leaves form a leafy, upright rosette. This clone came to us from Germany with the accession code of BOE0A456.

An interesting Mexican lithophytic species from Oaxaca where it lives in very arid conditions on rock outcrops. The leaves are very stiff, almost needle-like, about 18 inches long. The habit is like that of Till. juncea, but the foliage is much more robust. Related to T. rodrigueziana.

THIS PLANT IS ON C.I.T.E.S. AND CANNOT BE EXPORTED

A Guatemalan species to about 8 x 10 inches with lovely thick silvery leaves, a bright red, cylindrical, simple spike and purple flowers. Nice for mounting. Considered an endangered species, is rather rare in nature, but very commonly cultivated. Especially easy to grow, a confidence builder for beginners.

A saxicolous species from Peru’s desert valleys. Like a small, caulescent, silver tectorum, with inch long leaves. Grow dry and bright.

Formerly Vriesea hitchcockiana, now classified as Tillandsia,  hitchcockiana has narrow, stiff leaves in a graceful rosette.  The inflorescence is pink, branched and very tall, with lavender flowers.  Native from Ecuador to Peru, it is a saxicole or epiphyte in nature.  It bears certain similarity to Vr. cereicola but lacks the stoloniferous habit of that species.

Tillandsia hitchcockiana and Vriesea cereicola are two species of gray leaved Vrieseas that are superficially similar. Both have stiff leaves and grow in a more or less tight, upright rosette. Their inflorescences, an overall pink, can be simple or branched. Some basic differences are this; hitchcockiana is a dark brownish gray and does not have stolons, cereicola is silver and is quite stoloniferous. Both are epiphytic or saxicolous, cereicola is fond of growing on cacti, hence the name.