Native Brazil to Bolivia and Argentina is a cascading plant with tiny green or grayish leaves on little stems. Clusters are handsome and produce little yellowish flowers. A widely variable species in the subgenus Diaphoranthema, it varies from very slight, wispy foliage to sturdy, fat stems that can hang to 12 inches or more. Our clone is from Bolivia and is one of the smaller forms that forms clusters and grows fairly rapidly. Grows naturally as a lithophyte or and epiphyte and enjoys good air circulation. Our clone is ‘growing wild’ in our shade houses where the seeds often germinate on the screens.

This species from Mexico and Central America is an upright growing plant to 12 inches and has a simple or occasionally branched, lanceolate inflorescence of red and yellow. Usually epiphytic, sometimes lithophytic in nature, it is easy to grow and a faithful bloomer with leaves that blush reddish in strong light. Suitable for terrariums.

A cliff-dwelling species from central Mexico; San Luis Potosi, Queretaro, and Hidalgo. Possibly because of its pupping habit, unlike typical monocarpic utriculata, it is popular with hobbyists and easy to grow. A decorative species, with many leaves in an upright rosette, grayish silver and rather thin. The inflorescence is branched and red to orange or pink, with green and pale green, whitish flowers. Many offsets proliferate at the base of this subspecies and form a dense cluster in time. These little pups can be removed to start new plants at a very small size. Grows best mounted in bright light.

This plant from Bolivia has a good possibility of being a new species. However, for now, we are offering it as a ’giant form’ of vernicosa, a species to which it is most similar. The leaves are very stiff and many in an 8 to 12 inch rosette, dark greenish bronze with a beautiful multi-branched inflorescence of pinkish orange with small white flowers. The colorful inflorescence lasts for several months. The regular form of this plant is 4 to 6 inches and by comparison this form is a true giant.

*VIPP plants are small size, not in bud

This Peruvian plant has silver leaves with a fragrant plum-colored inflorescence.

A natural hybrid of Tillandsia gardneri x stricta. The native range of this hybrid is southeast Brazil.

A natural hybrid of (utriculata x fasciculata) known from the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Our plants originated on the island of St. John in the vicinity of Cinnamon Bay where the only two possible parents of this beauty occur side by side.

Taking the best of both parents, it has an inflorescence much larger and more branched than fasciculata, but much more colorful than utriculata. It does offset, though it may wait until the inflorescence is almost finished. Very rarely seen in any collections. We have two clones in our collection, and this one is by far the best.

 

A naturally occurring hybrid of (fasciculata x ionantha), this plant was originally described as a species. For some, this plant is Tillandsia 'Jalapa-Fortin' because of the road where it is often found in Veracruz, Mexico. A great plant however you name it. In general it looks like a very big ionantha, blushing red when it blooms and having a short to nonexistent scape of blue flowers.

*VIPP plants are small, not in bud/color

A larger growing form of this natural hybrid from Florida. A primary hybrid that can be between any of the millions of Tillandsia fasciculata v. densispica x balbisiana in the Everglades and as luck would have it, this one is just an extra-large growing form. About 25% larger than other clones we grow, reaching 30 to 36 inches tall or more, consistently. The inflorescence is correspondingly larger too.

As with the typical form the plants have bronzy foliage which forms a bulbous base with long, tapering leaves in a rosette with an upright vase shape. The inflorescence is very tall with a red scape, long, recurving bracts and a cluster of upright, long, bright red branches. Colorful and easy to grow.

A natural hybrid of (flexuosa x funckiana) that we collected in Venezuela in the late 1990’s. This plant is from a completely different area than the one described by Gouda in 2002, but it likely would be considered the same taxa. Our plant is from the state of Carabobo on the old road from Valencia to Puerto Cabello, a long distance from the Merida locality of the other. We found ours growing on a rock, in light forest in partial shade. The Tillandsia flexuosa and funckiana in this area are quite different looking than the ones near Merida which is much higher in altitude and much drier.

An interesting plant with long, stiff leaves along a caulescent stem, silvery green in color, clump forming. The inflorescence is a thin scape no higher than the foliage, with large flowers of deep rose red that are tubular with flaring petals that recurve at the tips. A very interesting plant that leaves no doubt about its hybrid origins.

A natural hybrid from the vicinity of El Rancho, Guatemala first imported and later described by Paul Isley. The cross is thought to be xerographica x paucifolia, both of which it shares some similarities. The plant forms an open rosette with a somewhat bulbous base, has broadly tapering, deeply channeled leaves that have a bit of a twist to them. The inflorescence is erect, branched and pinkish red with pale blue flowers.

An attractive and uncommon hybrid as all plants in cultivation have descended from the first import.

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

A beautiful and collectible Tillandsia from Guatemala which forms a large open rosette with wide recurving silver leaves and a handsome yellow inflorescence. Grown mounted or in a basket, the leaves will hang in long curls. Native to seasonally dry forests where they receive abundant sun and good air circulation, in cultivation does well in a hanging basket or a string ‘cradle’, just suspended in a bright, airy place.

A magnificent species now listed as endangered by C.I.T.E.S.