A neat little Skotak hybrid of (carolinae x olens ‘Marie’) x (olens ‘Marie’ x carolinae ‘Shadowlawn’) that forms compact 6 to 8 inch rosettes of light green leaves, variegated nicely with bright white. A cherry red center flush, red tips and a suffusion of tiny red speckles and random blotches make this a very attractive plant.

A spectacular cultivar of (carolinae x fosteriana) x carcharodon by Chester Skotak. A large growing plant with gracefully arching 3½ inch wide leaves in a 30 inch rosette. The background color is dark brown to almost black, with pink variegation. Numerous red specks are scattered evenly over leaf, and a dusting of silvers trichomes gives the plant a matte finish. Relatively large marginal spines are soft and match the color of the leaf. Color flush at anthesis is minimal, slightly reddish.

A hybrid of (carolinae x Ptd Ldy) x (carolinae x Tak Pri) by RL Frasier. This is a beautiful medium sized plant to about 18 inches across, with fairly wide leaves, boldly albomarginated with yellowish white. The leaves have a leathery texture and blush slightly reddish with a deep red center flush when blooming. Only one clone of this cross exists.

Formerly known as Neo. pabstiana, this species from Minas Gerais, Brazil has since been combined under bahiana. An upright grower to about 14 inches tall, with narrow leaves, barely over a half inch wide, flaring out to form a somewhat bulbous base. The leaves are of very heavy substance, thick and stiff, dark pink overall. A saxicole in nature, it prefers fast draining soil and drier, brightly lit growing conditions. A collector item and a bromeliad that succulent fanciers could love.

An as yet unnamed cross of Neoregelia ‘Rio Ocher’ x olens ‘Vulcan’ is an apple green plant with a vivid red center flush at anthesis. The inch and a half wide leaves are somewhat thick and leathery and the marginal spines are small. It develops some red cross-banding on the leaves which become more pronounced with strong light or when grown “harder”. Offsets are on short stolons and the plant is good for mounting and for terrarium use.

This is a complex species with many different forms, some of which formerly had their own species names. Native mainly to Bahia and Minas Gerais, Brazil, they are as a group lithophytic with upright growth, thick, stiff leaves and colors from green to gray and red. This form has about a dozen very broad leaves, is upright, tubular and flaring with apiculate leaf tips that are pink in color. The base leaf color is gray, having a thick coating of trichomes over a light green leaf. This species typically offsets before blooming. A very fine form.

A handsome species that should be more widely grown, has an open rosette shape about 12 inches across, coppery green with heavy markings of dark brown to almost black and dark leaf tips. Fragrant flowers.

This is one of Chester’s better hybrids. Well known to collectors but uncommon in cultivation. A large growing plant with 5 inch wide leaves. To achieve the plant’s best look it needs to be grown in strong light. The variegation is usually a wide stripe or stripes down the center of the leaves. Veneer is a vivid reddish-pink which makes this plant a real stand-out!

One of the interesting, highly stoloniferous and colorful Neo. pendula hybrids from Chester Skotak that have become so popular. A compact grower, it will mature at about eight inches across when well grown. Likes bright light and plenty of water. Great for a hanging basket. The leaves are very spiny and recurving with the center flushing bright pink.

A small grower to about 6 inches tall, with red leaves that are suffused with yellow-green dots, concentrating in the center. Makes a good terrarium plant.

A different looking hybrid from Chester Skotak, cross information not yet reported. A compact Neoregelia that has 5-inch wide green leaves with wide cream colored margins. The leaves develop a magenta veneer and there are some color breaks in the veneer which look like cream colored spots.

One of Gary Hendrix’s hybrids is a cultivar of Neoregelia ampullacea ‘Zebrina’ x ‘Fireball’. It has enjoyed some controversy as to its exact parentage and origin, but that has all been pretty much now sorted out.

Anyway this is a cute little miniature, smaller than either parent, with broad leaves of dark green, heavily peppered with red spots, so much so that they plants appear solid red. The little rosettes are on 2 inch stolons and the plant will quickly form nice sized clusters. Very popular with terrarium enthusiasts.

An excellent smaller-growing-than-usual form of Neo compacta. The plants are ideally suited to growing in baskets or for mounting, quickly forming showy clusters with their stout stolons. Foliage is compact, light green, spineless and develops a deep red center flush when blooming. Ideal for terrariums.

A Chester Skotak hybrid. This plant is a cultivar of [(carolinae variegated x ‘Skotak’s Tiger’) x ‘Skotak’s Tiger’], a handsome plant with a open rosette shape to about 24 inches across, leaves 2.75 inches wide with large and pronounced, very decorative dark marginal spines and apiculate tips. Dark Kelly-green leaves with broad central variegation of ivory-white and a scattering of broken red cross-bands on both sides of the leaf.

FIRST TIME RELEASE!

A new miniature Neoregelia by Chester Skotak. Green leaves with white margins. The tops of the leaves are covered with red speckles and the undersides of the leaves are banded and spotted in red. If you like a bright white miniature Neoregelia, this is the one for you. Looks especially nice in a hanging pot.

There are several forms of this species in cultivation and this one is unique in that it has pink flowers, instead of white. A 6 to 8 inch rosette with mottled green leaves, with red veneer and red tips.

FIRST TIME RELEASE!

Neoregelia 'Shrapnel'. A new release by Chester Skotak. A green plant with bold white margins and speckled with small red dots all over. A symmetrical 12 inch wide rosette with 1.5 inch wide leaves. The leaves overlapp giving it a nice tight shape.