We collected just one of these plants back in the 1990’s in Sumidero Canyon, Chiapas, Mexico where it lives on vertical cliffs along with other interesting species like T. vanhynningii. Since then we nursed it along until we built up a still very small stock. This is a choice plant with an open rosette of many very stiff, narrow, silvery leaves and a lax inflorescence of pink branches. Very slow growing, but worth the wait.

Many years ago I acquired my first specimen of this fine Tillandsia from Fred Fuchs, famed orchid collector and explorer, and never dreamed that I would ever see it growing wild. Years later our explorations took us to the arid scrub forests of western Ecuador and northern Peru where this plant was abundant, often in the crowns of towering Bombax trees.

A beautiful species with rather thin, very dark gray, stiff, almost brittle leaves in a symmetrical open rosette that can reach 18 inches across.

The inflorescence, a tall spike with a cluster of short branches, develops slowly, becoming vivid lacquer red and lasting in color for months.

Tillandsia stricta The soft-leaved form from Brazil. Mature at about 3 to 4in, has fine green to reddish-tinted leaves and will flower with vivid rose-pink bracts and blue flowers.

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.

Budded as of 05/06/2024