This is a plant that has been in our collection for some time without a positive identification. We had obtained this plant originally as Til. pucarensis to which it certainly has some resemblance, but it is somewhat larger, leafier and has a larger and more heavily branched inflorescence.

We have shared pieces of this plant with others familiar with the species and all agree that pucarensis is not a good fit. However there is no other species which seems a good fit either. We now suspect that this may be a natural hybrid, perhaps between pucarensis and the small form of floribunda, but it cannot be known for sure. Therefore we have chosen to give it a cultivar name in order to keep track of it in a less confusing way.

Tillandsia 'Kybong' (stricta x ixioides)

Bob Spivey’s hybrid is a cultivar of (funckiana x kegeliana), two red-flowered Tillandsias that are not as unrelated as they might appear. The flowers are in fact quite similar in both, though the foliage is dramatically different. The hybrid much more closely resembles the funckiana parent but differs in being more robust with longer leaves and having multiple flowers. It keeps the nice clustering habit of the funckiana parent.

A hybrid of (capitata x streptophylla). An extraordinary beauty that takes on a bulbous shape with wide, recurving, curling leaves coated with silvery scurf.

The inflorescence is fairly short with long, curling scape bracts and a tightly clustered head of red branches and light blue flowers. The whole plant takes on a reddish-peach blush at anthesis. A choice plant. 

A natural hybrid of (ehlersiana x streptophylla) from Chiapas, Mexico. There are those that believe that T. ehlersiana is itself a hybrid, so it is not surprising that it would hybridize with other plants sharing the same habitat. This plant looks like an ehlersiana in general aspect, a fat-bottomed beauty with wider, contorted, deeply channeled leaves, silvery all over with a more open, pretty pink inflorescence. 

A lovely hybrid of concolor x xerographica by Paul Isley. With the xerographica parent showing, this plant is on C.I.T.E.S. 

C.I.T.E.S. - No Export

A cross of (ionantha ‘red’ x bulbosa lg form) by Bill Timm. Kind of unique we think because usually anything crossed with ionantha ends up looking more like a big ionantha.  Tillandsia ‘Luke’ is an exception, with a bulbous base and upright habit, it resembles the bulbosa parent.  More silvery than green it also has many more leaves than a bulbosa. 

When blooming the whole upper whorl of leaves and the inflorescence blushes red with blue flowers.  It is a stunning plant, not large, but showy. 

This hybrid by Bill Timm is a cultivar of (chiapensis x roland-gosselinii). One of those ‘dream crosses’ using two fantastic plants as parents and getting stunning results. The hybrid is right down the line between the two, taking on the silver leaves and inflorescence shape of the chiapensis parent and the size, and inflorescence coloration closer to the roland-gosselinii parent. Reaching a full 30 inches across, the plant is impressive for size alone, but can also stay in bloom for months. A great plant. 

Tillandsia 'Majestic' (chiapensis x concolor 'red Spiked form') cross by Mark Dimmitt. A beautiful plant with thick green foliage and long narrow cherry red spikes.

A fairly large hybrid by Luis Ariza, (brachycaulos x fasciculata), to about 10 to 16 inches with many leaves in a spreading rosette. The leaves are somewhat softer than a fasciculata and dusted with silvery scurf. The inflorescence is a cluster of short red branches on a red scape, with long scape bracts that blush reddish too. The flowers are exceptionally long, tubular and light bluish purple. An easy grower that does well mounted. 

A hybrid of (fasciculata x concolor) by Steve Correale is the reverse cross of ‘Silver Sword’, larger and not as stiff leaved and having a branched rather than simple inflorescence.

A nice silvery, fasciculata-type plant with a branched inflorescence, typically three-branches but not always. The inflorescence is rather inflated with long, lanceolate branches, pink at the bottom, transitioning to green at the top. Really a nice looking plant. 

A stunning hybrid of (pseudobaileyi x streptophylla) by Robert Spivey that is a perfect balance of the two parents.  It has clean lines with a bulbous base and upright terete foliage that is slightly wavy and silvery gray.  The inflorescence is erect with several branches, slightly exceeding the foliage.  The scape and branches are bright pink becoming silvery white.  A choice hybrid and easy to grow.