A very nice and robust form of nudicaulis with compact growth when cultivated bright and stressed a little. Reddish leaves are stiff and heavily banded with silver.

*VIPP plants are Offsets

A nice form of nudicaulis that Wally Berg brought back from a Brazil trip some years ago. We do not know the exact type, though it looks a lot like capitata in general shape. A stout, wide leaved, tubular rosette with stiff green to yellowish leaves with a slight red marginal blush, red apiculate tips and prominent black spines.

The plants have the typical ‘thumb print’ of the species and produce offsets of short, stout stolons. A decorative plant for mounting or for a hanging basket.

*VIPP plants are Offsets

A cultivar of (Billbergia nutans x Aechmea recurvata v. benrathii) Stewart. A cute, clumping, easy to grow miniature bigeneric hybrid. Slender, stiff, moderately spiny leaves of light green, form upright, clustering rosettes to about 8 to 10 inches tall. The inflorescence is fairly attractive, erect to nodding, with bright red bracts, streaked with grey trichomes and a cluster of violet trimmed, green flowers. Can take on a reddish cast if grown in strong light. Suitable for terrariums.

*VIPP plants are Offsets

A nice and different clone collected by Harry Luther on a 1987 Selby expedition to Panama with Libby Besse, Joe Halton and John Kress. The plant was found in Bocas del Toro in the vicinity of Chiriqui Grande at about sea level (SEL87-0233A). A stiff leaved plant, more open in shape than some other forms, with silver banding on the leaf undersides and heavy speckling on the upper sides when grown bright. The inflorescence is short, semi-erect with crimson bracts and yellow sepals and petals. Stoloniferous in habit, it grows to about 15 inches tall. A piece of bromeliad history!

*VIPP plants are Offsets

A nice form of this variable species which was collected by Berg and Anderson in Brazil. This form has stiff leaves, an upright, tubular shape, and the classic ’thumb-print’. The leaves are gray-green with silvery bands and the inflorescence is a compact cone with yellow flowers and bright red bracts.

*VIPP plants are Offsets

This is a relatively new Brazilian species of which we know little, aside from its general appearance, that of a very leafy, full rosette of narrow, light green, slightly mottled leaves with large black spines. We grow it in a 6 inch pot, but it is reportedly a large growing species. We have not found that, but we have also never bloomed this species either.

*Formerly Aechmea

**VIPP plant is an Offset

We are not quite sure that there is an interesting story behind the name of this Chester Skotak hybrid, but I am just as happy to not know what it is. This handsome, robust grower is a cross of a selected dark clone of Aechema fendleri with the fabulously popular Aechmea ‘Blue Tango’. The result is a stunning, variegated plant with red tinted foliage and a spectacular blue and pink inflorescence.

A rare plant from Brazil that grows in a large rosette to about three feet across. In good light the leaves are green, tinted with copper color and slightly banded. The inflorescence looks very much like that of Ae. pineliana, having a corn-cob shape and small, light blue flowers.

*VIPP plants are Offsets

A clone of this wide spread species that we collected some years ago in Guatopo, Venezuela. This one differs from other clones we have, mainly in having a larger inflorescence. It bears quite a few yellow branches with very large rose-red bracts. Growing to 3 feet tall or a bit more and about as wide. The inflorescence is long lasting and this is a good landscape plant. Grows well mounted in trees in zone 9B and above.

*VIPP plants are Offsets

A tissue culture hybrid of Aechmea chantinii x fasciata. The plant grows to 2 and 1/2 feet in a large green rosette shape with many spiny leaves lightly scurfed. The rosy pinkish-red bloom is long-lasting and stunning. 

*VIPP plants are Offsets

Aechmea aquilega variegated  A beautifully variegated form of a large handsome species. This plant grows to about three feet tall with stiff leaves in an upright rosette. The inflorescence has clustered branches of yellow with pink bracts and is very colorful. However, the best part is the vividly variegated leaves which are light green with bold creamy white. This stunning form was found in Brazil.

*VIPP plants are Offsets

A small growing Aechema recurvata hybrid by Lisa Vinzant. Olive green with dark leaf tips that turn blue with age. Produces a short inflorescence of pink. Matures at 10 inches tall. Grows best in bright filtered light.

*VIPP plants are Offsets