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 handsome, slender growing, clump forming species from Rio Grande do Sul state in southern Brazil. Described by Prof. Dr. Werner Rauh in 1984. A lithophyte, growing with several species of cacti, orchids and other bromeliad species. The foliage is silvery-lepidote, slender, in a loose upright rosette with an inflorescence about a long as the leaves, un-branched, with light red bracts and open white flowers.

Individual plants reach about 8 inches tall.

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.

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.

Tillandsia usneoides  This is the famed ‘Spanish Moss’ of the romantic south. Gracing stately trees from Virginia to Argentina, its is a ubiquitous presence in much of the southern U.S. and especially here in Florida.

The form we sell is our native form, long silvery strands, fluffy and fresh, with fragrant green flowers when it blooms. We grow some in greenhouses, but much of our stock is harvested in the many trees right on Tropiflora property. We clean it of twigs and leaves and only rarely treat it with insecticides for shipment, by request.

Forget about the red bug stories you may have heard about ‘Spanish Moss’, it’s a myth. Great for that special tropical look in your trees, for use with reptiles, as decorative mulch on indoor plants and more. Keep in a breezy, partially shaded place for best results and water well once a week. Feed occasionally if kept indoors.

Note that the photo below is a clump just over 3 feet long and is about a pound (actually just under).

*PLEASE NOTE - We are no longer allowed to ship this item to Japan

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

A robust plant similar to T. aeranthos, but with wider, stiffer, reddish leaves in a more open rosette shape. The scape is nodding, slightly longer than the foliage with white-tipped rose-red bracts and open cerulean blue flowers. Native to the area of the Riozinho region of Rio Grande do Sul state of Brazil. Very attractive, clump forming, somewhat cold hardy and easy to grow.

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

A beautiful, silvery plant in a leafy 10 inch rosette with a handsome, silver-dusted pink-orange inflorescence and white flowers. Resembles didisticha a little and is sometimes confused with pucaraensis. Our plants came originally from the collection of Dr. Werner Rauh years ago.

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 brachycaulos x dasyliriifolia from Mexico, described by Ramirez & Carnivali. In our experience it is not a large plant, but rather upright growing to about 12 to 18 inches with fairly broad silvery-green leaves. The inflorescence is cylindrical to occasionally branched, with pinkish bracts and white flowers.

(SEL2000-0185)