This is a very nice plant that we collected in back in the 1990’s near El Cameron, Oaxaca, Mexico at an altitude of 4,600 feet. It was an obvious hybrid and the only possible parents were both growing in the same area; T. fasciculata ‘Lithophytic Form’ and ionantha v. stricta.

The plant was a single clump of three plants growing lithophytically (see photo taken in the wild) and we took the larger plant. Over the years this plant has developed into a real beauty, similar to ‘Nidus’ (another fasciculata x ionantha hybrid from Veracruz) but distinctly different. 

It has soft but firm leaves in an upright rosette, somewhat caulescent, about 12 inches long, with a short scape with clustered branches that rises about two to three inches. The bracts are red and flowers blue. The foliage blushes red but the scurf on the leaves make them appear pink. No cultural problems under ‘normal’ Tillandsia culture.

A naturally occurring hybrid of (streptophylla x caput-medusae) found in Guatemala from time to time. A good combination of both parents. More slender than streptophylla with more terete leaves, but thicker and larger than caput-medusae. The inflorescence is branched and pinkish. Very graceful looking, vigorous and easy to grow.

C.I.T.E.S. - The xerographica parent makes this plant ineligible for shipping outside of the U.S. Sorry!

This is a magnificent large grower that we imported from Guatemala back in 1992 is, apparently, a natural hybrid of (xerographica x aff. capitata). Although this is the same suspected cross as ‘Rio Hondo’ it is certainly very different. The ‘Rio Hondo’ has the look of the aff. capitata parent, with broad, curling, blushing scape bracts and a capitate head. In keeping with the recommended naming of natural hybrids after their collection locality (when known) we are calling this one ‘El Rancho’.

Our ‘El Rancho’ has the general appearance of the xerographica parent, with wide, deeply channeled, stiff, curling leaves and a tall scape with long and slender scape bracts. The inflorescence has many branches, narrow and mostly upright in a tight cluster and has a slight pinkish blush. The blue flowers are exceptionally long and exerted. This plant is also part of the collection at the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, with an accession number of SEL1992-0266.

A hybrid by Mark Dimmitt, named and registered by Bill Timm. This clone of (concolor x streptophylla) is one of our favorites! It has a somewhat bulbous base and leaves that recurve downward in a sweeping arc. The leaves are stiffer than streptophylla and more lepidote than concolor. The inflorescence is shaped like concolor, but fuller, lanceolate and branched, pink with silver dusting. 

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 beautiful hybrid of (tricolor x fasciculata) that we got many years ago from famous bromeliad breeder and promoter; Ervin Wurthman. A robust plant to about 24 inches tall, with narrow, gracefully arching reddish, somewhat silver dusted leaves in an upright rosette. The inflorescence is a tall red and yellow scape that is usually well branched. Ervin told us that he had gotten this plant long ago as a natural hybrid from Mexico. Years later, even after Ervin had passed away in 2004, we decided to name this plant after him. Easily adaptable to pot culture.

An interesting an unusual cross of (chlorophylla x fasciculata) by Bill Timm. A colorful and robust hybrid with the foliage of the fasciculata parent, and an inflorescence heavily influenced by the chlorophylla parent. The resulting cross is much more robust and easy to care for than the chlolophylla which is a more mesic plant. This one is more xeric in nature and thrives in ‘normal’ Tillandsia culture. 

The foliage is long and slender in a gracefully arching rosette shape and is silvery with trichomes. The inflorescence is a tall scape with ten or more glossy red branches and long bracts which are more leaf-like and grayish. The flowers are long and tubular, two-tone white and purple.

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‘. 

A purported natural hybrid from Oaxaca, Mexico of Tillandsia tomasellii x fasciculata v. densispica, though such parentage can only be an educated guess but both suggested parents do live together in the area. A large grower with broad, deeply channeled, tapering, silvery leaves. The shape is an open rosette with the leaves growing in a recurved spiral.

The inflorescence is a tall scape, red but made pink by silvery trichomes. The scape bracts are long and leaf-like, blushing reddish towards the top of the rachis. A dozen or more stout branches of pale yellow form a loose cluster well above the foliage. This is a handsome plant with long lasting color.