A hybrid of (ixioides x recurvifolia) by Mark Dimmitt. A wide spreading rosette to about 8 inches, with half inch wide, rather stiff and silvery-lepidote leaves. Much more closely resembles the ixioides parent, but has more leaves and rosy pink bracts with yellow flowers. An attractive plant.

A nice Paterson hybrid of concolor x brachycaulos. The leaves have a reddish tinge normally that will turn bright red when in bloom.

A showy hybrid of (capitata ‘Red’ x ionantha v. stricta) by Bill Timm. A nice plant about 6 to 8 inches tall that strongly resembles the ionantha parent with many narrow leaves in an upright, flaring, rosette. Green until blooming, when it blushes bright red.

A Mark Dimmitt hybrid is a cultivar of (aeranthos x ‘Houston’). It resembles the species stricta, with stiff, narrow, green leaves in a bushy rosette. A nice clump forming plant that has contrasting pink bracts and blue flowers on its inflorescence. 

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!

This plant was imported in the early 1980s from Guatemala and came in mixed with Tillandsia caput-medusae. When this plant flowered it was obvious to us that it was a hybrid and we consulted with Harry Luther who agreed that it was likely a caput-medusae x brachycaulos natural hybrid. Until 2013 we had been growing this plant under that name.

I recently submitted a photo of it to Derek Butcher and Geoffrey Lawn of the Hybrid Registry and Derek wrote me back saying “You have the original T. brachycaulos var multiflora see attached. However the botanists decided it was a natural hybrid which I maintain should be in alpha order because you do not know mother thus brachycaulos x caput-medusae. So we are in a quandary.

Under ICBN rules your plant has a ‘name’. I am suggesting we stretch the rules and under the ICNCP rules call your plant ‘Zacapa‘ linking it to the Lyman Smith variety and thus the Field herb specimen.” And so we are. This plant has grown much larger under cultivated conditions and maintains a nice coloration. A choice plant.

With its clumping habit, brilliant rose bracts and inky blue flowers, this species is a gem of the Tillandsia world. From the ‘southern cone’ of South America, it is tolerant of some cold. Beautiful and undemanding.

This is a form of aeranthos that is quite different than most. It is big, bigger by quite a bit from any other form we have seen. The leaves are narrowly triangular, about 4 inches long, dark gray and very stiff. In inflorescence is stout, light pink, silvery with light blue flowers. We do not know the exact wild origins, but typically aeranthos is found in the ‘southern cone’ countries of South America. The picture tells the story, it’s a big beauty!

If you like Till. aeranthos, you’ll love the variety aemula! Like a giant-growing form of the species, it is a very handsome and hardy plant from Southern Brazil. Somewhat more caulescent than the typical form, it has purplish-tinted foliage on a stem up to 12 inches long. The inflorescence is well exerted, about 6 inches long, with deep rose-colored bracts and deep blue flowers. Forms large clumps eventually, and can be grown mounted or just hanging on a string.

A large and lovely species from Minas Gerais, Brazil, with leaves of silver growing in spidery fashion from a short stem. In some ways this species looks a bit like Til. streptocarpa but is larger with leaves less curled. The inflorescence resembles that species as well as straminea but the branches are held closer to the stem. The inflorescence is a tall and branched, without much color, but produces masses of lovely purple, very fragrant flowers. Grows in nature on granitic outcrops in full sun, but adapts to varied conditions in cultivation. Can be mounted, but does not root readily. Bright conditions and an airy location is best.

We have made a variety of these cute arrangements using our Tillandsias. We mix and match the mounting base so your item could be made with cork, cedar or even small pieces of driftwood. We will send what we have - no guarantee your item will be the exact one shown in the photo. Different sizes available.

Great for your desk or coffee table!

*Photos are grouped to show how varied each arrangement can be. All arrangements are sold individually.

A gray-leaved Tillandsia found growing as a lithophyte on cliffs and rarely on trees in the intermontane valleys of the Western slopes of the Andes in Ecuador and Peru. Features broad leaves tapering to a fine tip, rather soft and forming a loose rosette of recurving leaves. The inflorescence is tall, feather shaped and light pink to slightly orange. The flowers, set distichously, are greenish yellow. Easy to cultivate under typical Tillandsia conditions, mounted or in a very good draining media.