A hybrid of (mallemontii x duratii) by M. Patterson in Australia, it’s a pretty good combination of the two parents. Tillandsia duratii is a robust plant with a long stem and curling leaves, rootless in the adult form and producing a long, branched inflorescence with fragrant purple flowers. Tillandsia mallemontii is a plant with fine leaves, forming a tangled ball with many plants. The slender inflorescence is un-branched and produces a large, fragrant, purple flower. 

The hybrid ‘Wonga’ looks more like a skinny duratii with many curly leaves and a long, branching inflorescence. The stunning thing though is that the flowers of both parents are very fragrant and those of ‘Wonga’ are not!

A nice bright hybrid made here at Tropiflora, a cross of tenuifolia v. strobiliformis x stricta Hard Leaf. Mature open rosette to about 8 inches across on a rather caulescent stem. Upright, arching, stiff, light green leaves, tapering to a point. 

The inflorescence, exerted just above the leaves, is about 6 inches long and rather strobilate with white-tipped candy pink bracts and slightly-flaring white flowers.

One of the most desirable and sought Tillandsia species ever. This is the rare clone with the deep-red inflorescence, from the hinterlands of the Darien in Panama. A rather small plant, growing to about six inches across in a somewhat bulbous, greenish-gray open rosette. The inflorescence is a short inflated, disproportionately large, arrowhead-shaped scape of deep red. We collected our original stock of these beauties some years ago on one of our most adventurous trips ever, and have established a nice sized colony. Easily forms clumps.

Grow bright, out of direct sun, keep warm and feed often.

*VIPP plants are not in bud

(‘Pink Sensation’ x ‘Royal Burgundy‘) A stunning cross by Grant Groves. Wide leaves in a symmetrical rosette have the pattern of ‘Royal Burgundy’, some speckling and blotching, but the coloration of ‘Pink Sensation‘. Outstanding in every way.

*VIPP plants are Offsets

Tillandsia ‘Red Robin’ (T. streptophylla 'Red' Belize (ex Bob Spivey) x T. streptophylla 'Red' (ex Steve Correale) is a Tropiflora cultivar by Ray Lemieux, resulting from a series of crosses between several Tillandsia streptophyllas originating in Belize. The best of those, with reddish coloration, were crossed with ‘Spivey Belize Red’ (not sure if this is a registered plant. A clone of T. streptophylla). Selections of that cross were crossed with a red clone from Steve Correale. Select plants from that grex were crossed with another T. streptophylla called ‘Jim Irvin’s Pink. Best of that grex was crossed with another Tropiflora plant we call ‘Silver Fuzzy’ in 2017 (also not registered, a one-of). The best, reddest of that grex was selected to become ‘Red Robin’.

The plant is large and robust, with leaves that curl tightly, 17 inches long, 1.5 inches wide. A typical blooming plant, with spike, is 23 inches tall, with an inflorescence 17 inches tall with reddish-pink, 6-inch, curly bracts, and bearing a dozen or more silvery-pink branches. The bulbous base is approximately 6 x 6 inches.

A spectacular, large, red-bracted cultivar of ‘Houston‘ (stricta x recurvifolia) a popular Mark Dimmitt hybrid. A very leafy 8 inch, gray-green rosette, with a large, full inflorescence of bright red bracts and flaring white flowers. 

This hybrid of aeranthos x tenuifolia that has been in our collection for years, did not match the hybrid with the same reported parentage in the BSI cultivar registry, named ‘Flamingoes‘. Ours is a colorful, small, clumping plant with stiff leaves that are dark green and form a 3 to 4 inch rosette. The inflorescence has bright pink bracts and deep bluish flowers. In a tip of the hat to the ‘original’, we decided to call this one ‘Flamingo Redux‘. 

This cross was genius, or maybe dumb luck, but at any rate it ended up fantastic. A cross of (fasciculata x flagellata) by Chester Skotak, it blends two of the best Tillandsias out there. Ecuadorean T. flagellata is itself a gem, with many narrow, soft leaves in a gracefully arching rosette. The inflorescence is brilliant red. This hybrid takes all the best of that species and blends it with the vigor of fasciculata and the robust bloom of both. Beautiful but slow, but like all good things, worth waiting for. 

A bizarre Tillandsia from Mexico, certainly the most unusual of the proliferating Tillandsias. The plants are long and thin, with stiff gray leaves ending in a tight curl. It is in nearly a constant state of bloom, producing an offset from the tip of the spike and additional ones from the base of the mother plant. Eventually, will form huge clusters of intertwined plants that hang down in a cascade. A true oddity and easy to grow.

This is a form of this lithophytic species from Venezuela that grows to nearly 10 inches tall, or at least generally larger than most other clones. Other than that it is typical, needle like ¾ inch long leaves on a long stem, silvery green, tinting red in good light and blushing deep red at the crown near anthesis. Flaring, tubular flowers are bright red.

A cultivar of (stricta x aeranthos) by Woods. It is a medium sized plant to about six inches across with narrow, silvery-green leaves. The inflorescence is very colorful, dark pink bracts and deep, inky-blue flowers. Grows easily mounted and will form attractive clusters.