This is the proliferating form of secunda from the area north of Quito, Ecuador. A large growing plant with silvery-green leaves in an upright rosette, which when in bloom produces its offsets on its inflorescence. The inflorescence is tall and branched, up to 3 feet or so, and usually bright red in color, and the adventitious offsets are produced at almost every internode. In nature it grows on the ground on rocky slopes in full sun. Popular with collectors, it is usually grown potted to gain size and vigor.

*VIPP plants are NOT in bloom

An all-time favorite from Brazil is about 6 inches across in a leafy rosette with stiff gray-green leaves. It produces a stunning blue-flowered, plume-shaped pink inflorescence in the summer. In nature this plant can be found growing on the restinga sands of beach dunes and in trees in the foothills of the Atlantic Range in Brazil.

Tillandsia stricta The soft-leaved form from Brazil. Mature at about 3 to 4in, has fine green to reddish-tinted leaves and will flower with vivid rose-pink bracts and blue flowers.

A natural hybrid from Tropiflora of Tillandsia stricta x aeranthos.

This beautiful species is native to only a couple of isolated canyons in central Honduras. A large upright grower to over 30 inches, with stiff, reddish leaves and an inflorescence of long pink, upright, terete branches.

In nature it lives at the base of cliffs, supporting itself against rocks and other plants. In cultivation it can be kept bare root, mounted or may be potted in a well drained media.

This is a superior clone of the species that has been grown in cultivation from seed! This is a long and arduous process for any Tillandsia and especially such relatively slow species as these. A species supremely adapted to the harsh climate of the nearly rain free canyons of interior southern Ecuador and northern Peru.

The plants, resembling cotton candy, are covered with a heavy coat of silver trichomes giving them an otherworldly appearance. In nature the plants use their trichomes to capture minute amounts of moisture from dew and frequent fogs which provide their major source moisture.

The inflorescence is a spike with a cluster of pink branches and blue flowers. After blooming the plants produce a cluster of offsets at the base of the inflorescence. The plants require bright light, good air movement and little watering in cultivation. Maintain in bright light up to full sun, watering weekly is good but the plants must dry quickly. Do not allow them to remain wet for extended periods. 

A robust form of this caulescent species from Brazil grows to about 8 inches long but can exceed 12 inches. Stiff, reddish leaves make this a handsome species and it easily forms large clusters. The inflorescence has pink bracts and white flowers. Both an epiphyte and lithophyte in habitat, it does well mounted or simply suspended from a string or wire.

A form of the widely variable species from Brazil that has reddish-coppery leaves in a very leafy, somewhat caulescent rosette. The plants form clusters with many offsets. The inflorescence has reddish bracts and white flowers with an open corolla.

First it should be noted that there is no such thing as Tillandsia tomasellii officially. This taxa has been combined with xerographica and is for all practical purposes, that plant. However, it bears little resemblance to a ‘typical’ xerographica.

This plant more closely resembles Tillandsia fasciculata in general aspect, same basic shape, narrow, silvery leaves, etc. The inflorescence however does resemble xerographica, a tall, well branched spike of yellow. A possible hybrid? Maybe, but for now, we are keeping this plant with its old name.

By the way, our plants originated in Guatemala, not Oaxaca, Mexico where tomasellii was first found.

A rare, smaller relative of Tillandsia fasciculata from Jamaica, although our specimen sourced from the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens (SEL 1986-0480) came from the Dominican Republic via Luis Ariza-Julia. It is unknown where he got the plant. Very narrow, silvery-gray leaves in an upright rosette to about 7 to 8 inches with a multi-branched inflorescence of bright red with light blue flowers. A very attractive, rare, small species.