Paul Isley's cross 'Kendra' is a cultivar of bulbosa x baileyi. A vigorous hybrid that looks a bit like the baileyi parent but is much larger and more robust. The bulbous base is like that of the bulbosa and the terete leaves are silvery and sinuous. The inflorescence is quite tall, at least as long as the leaves and it branched, pinkish, with a silvery finish. Grows to about 18 inches tall, taller than either parent plant. 

A nice hybrid of stricta x leonamiana with silvery-white leaves in a full rosette that can reach 10 inches across in larger specimens. The inflorescence is fairly stricta-like, about 6 inches long and nodding. The bracts are bright pink frosted with silver on the tips. A choice plant!

THIS PLANT IS ON C.I.T.E.S. AND CANNOT BE EXPORTED

This cross of xerographica x brachycaulos has been made before and at least one clone is registered as “Betty.”  This plant, however, is not the same, though of course, you’d expect similarities.  Our clone most closely resembles the xerographica parent in the foliage, with broad, channeled, fairly stiff, curling, silvery leaves.  The inflorescence is tall with many upright greenish branches and long scape bracts that blush slightly red at anthesis.  A nice large showy plant!

This larger growing species is a rock dwelling saxicole in its native Jalisco, Mexico habitat. A wide spreading rosette of 3/4 inch wide, leathery leaves blushes bright red in strong light. At anthesis the capitate head of red bracts rises well above the foliage, is bright red with blue flowers. A very showy plant and prized by collectors. Can be grown mounted or potted in a well-draining media.

A beautiful, giant growing form of this spectacular red-blushing Central American species. Normally about 6 inches across, this form easily reaches 12 inches or more! The leaves are green until anthesis and then blush bright red, which lasts for some weeks, then slowly fades back to green. A sub-mesic species that enjoys a bit more moisture than many of the gray leaved types.

A natural hybrid from Tropiflora of Tillandsia stricta x aeranthos.

A hybrid of Tillandsia aeranthos x gardneri. Fairly stiff, silvery-green leaves in a full 8 inch rosette. Pretty pink floral bracts. Easy to grow and prolific.

A lovely, robust hybrid by Jim Irvin is a cultivar of (limbata x bulbosa).  Most closely resembling the bulbosa parent with a bulbous base, glossy leaves, and a branched, red inflorescence, it does differ though in some aspects.  The plant is larger than bulbosa, growing to about 12 inches tall with upright, terete leaves that are glossy or nearly lacking visible trichomes.  The color is green overall until anthesis. 

The inflorescence is tall with multiple branches which are long and slender (more so than bulbosa) and bright red in color.  The foliage will blush slightly bronzy-reddish at anthesis and in stronger light.  A vigorous grower that produces more offsets than the bulbosa parent, forming nice clusters in a relatively short time. 

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. 

A spectacular hybrid by Steve Correale is a cultivar of chiapensis x botterii.  A large grower with a loose rosette shape that can reach 30 inches across and 20 inches tall.  The leaves are thick and leathery, heavily scurfed with silver trichomes, silvery but tinting pink in strong light.  The inflorescence can be 30 inches tall with long, thick, upright and curving branches of pink.  Bizarre and different but also beautiful. 

*VIPP plants are Offsets

An early hybrid (1960’s) by Charles Wiley is a cultivar of (seleriana x bulbosa). The cross was made in Eastern Germany and is a relic of the Cold War era. Aside from this, the plant is a handsome combination of both parents. More bulbosa-like it is however stouter with more leaves and has a slight scurff unlike the bulbosa parent. The inflorescence is a short rachis with red branches and a corresponding blush in the upper leaves at anthesis. 

This is a natural hybrid apparently of (ionantha x fasciculata ‘Hondurensis’) that came from Honduras and was given to Bill Timm some years ago. Later Bill gave us a piece back with the name ‘Veronica’s Gift’ on it. It took quite a while to propagate enough to release them.

It is a handsome plant with many silvery, semi-stiff leaves in a full, vase shaped rosette. Unusual for an ionantha hybrid, it does not blush in the center at anthesis but rather produces a short cluster of pinkish branches and blue flowers. A very nice plant that has proven easy to cultivate under typical conditions afforded our Tillandsias.