A smallish species of Tillandsia that grows on a long stem.  The narrow, stiff leaves are 2 to 3 inches long spaced along the stem and taper to a point.  The overall color is dark purplish with a silvery tint.  The inflorescence is a 2 inch scape with bright pink bracts and flaring blue flowers.  Clumps are easily formed and once a clump forms, the plants can be suspended from a string for cultivation. 

Native to Rio Grande do Sul in Southern Brazil, it has a strong resemblance to T. aeranthos though it must be significantly different enough to deserve species status.  Our plants came originally from the collection of Elton Leme. 

A tall Tillandsia with needle-like leaves to over 18 inches. Great for using as an accent in mounted arrangements. Will eventually form a large clump. Inflorescence is simple, greenish white to pink to red in color.

This one of the larger species, growing to well over 12 inches tall. It is more upright with silvery leaves and an inflorescence of orange which terminates in an offset.

A fine example of the variable divaricata group of latifolias. Common to southern Ecuador, it is found mostly in colonies on the ground in treeless desert areas. The plants form dense mats of hard, reflective silvery leaves, their tall shiny orange spikes glistening in the full sun. In cultivation, where conditions are relatively much less stressful, they grow somewhat larger than in their native habitats, reaching about 18 inches tall. Very slow growing.

One of the more unusual forms of the widely diverse latifolia group. An open rosette of wide, succulent leaves with a rose colored inflorescence that is very long lasting and attractive. A rare lithophytic species restricted to a few canyons of northern Peru.  A rock dweller with a shrinking range due in part to the damming of the Chancay, the plant makes a spectacular specimen. Grown into a second generation the plants take on a special beauty, responding well to fertilizer and minimal care. Mostly mature plants, seldom seen in collections. A slow grower but worth the wait!

This is a Guatemalan species that was formerly known as Tillandsia capitata v. guzmanioides. Many years ago we tried to grow this plant from wild collected specimens sent up from Kurt Meyer. These are cultivated plants that we also imported, but have had them for years and they are thriving here in Florida. This plant closely resembles some of the capitata forms but seems to agree in many aspects with the species. The photo is of one of this same clone so you can be the judge. We grow ours bare root in baskets, but this plant can tolerate potting in a light media. Green foliage with a capitate inflorescence and long scape bracts that blush bright red at anthesis.

A lithophytic Tillandsia species from the vicinity of El Tule, Oaxaca, Mexico at about 5,300 feet of altitude. Considered a distinct variety of the Tillandsia mitlaensis from near the same area. That form is more of a fasciculate, stemless lithophyte while the variety tulensis is distinctly caulescent. The leaves narrower and smaller than the typical species, with appressed silvery-white scales as opposed to dense pruinose scales of the typical form.

The inflorescence is simple, erect, about six inches long with pink bracts and tubular purple flowers. Easy to grow under typical Tillandsia cultural conditions.

A beautiful plant that forms large colonies on the rocks of its Brazilian habitat of Cabo Frio. A caulescent lithophyte with short, stiff, green to bronzy leaves and a nice inflorescence of salmon bracts and blue flowers. Forms many offsets on the old stems. Very easy to grow in partial to full sun.

A species with long very thin, grassy leaves, that are stiff, succulent and form a spreading, funnelform rosette. Closely resembling Tillandsia hammeri, it differs in being larger, more spreading, less silvery and stoloniferous. The inflorescence has more and wider branches but is more compact and taller, among other differences. Native to limestone outcrops near Nizanda, Oaxaca, Mexico, it was first collected by Ehlers and only described in 2016. The many leaves form an upright rosette to nearly two feet tall with an erect inflorescence of pink bracts and deep violet flowers.

Tillandsia paleacea v. apurimacensis  A small silvery plant that blooms purple. Cultivation is easy, grow mounted or simply hang on a string in a breezy, bright spot. Water infrequently and fertilize modestly.

A very nice species from Central America that for years went in the trade as paucifolia (or circinnata) 'Pink Form', that is until it was given scientific treatment and was declared a new species in its own right. Bulbous based with twisting, terete leaves and a nice clear pink inflorescence, this is an easy to grow, colorful, must have species for all Tillandsia lovers.