Mark Dimmit’s hybrid of the same grex as ‘Houston’, a (stricta x recurvifolia) cross. Larger than either parent, it has many silvery, semi-soft leaves in a full 8 inch rosette. The large semi-pendant inflorescence has bright rose-red bracts. A very showy plant!

An accidental hybrid, probably made by hummingbirds visiting a greenhouse, is almost certainly a cross of (balbisiana x pseudobaileyi). This plant occurred amongst a group of seedlings of Tillandsia balbisiana supplied by a South American nurseryman. The shape of the plant is rather classic balbisiana in all aspects including size. The leaves though are semi-terete and have the striping like the T. pseudobaileyi. 

The inflorescence is like balbisiana in shape and size but has the color of pseudobaileyi. One can never be sure of such a cross, but in my experience I have never seen a hybrid that appeared as obvious as this one. A very striking plant.

Bill Timm’s cross of (ionantha v. vanhyningii x bulbosa) is pretty much just what you’d expect. The plant without a flower looks very much like a bulbosa is shape and size, perhaps a bit stiffer with thicker leaves. When in flower, the inflorescence is more like that of the ionantha v. vanhyningii parent, short, almost without a scape, with a cluster of tight branches and blue flowers. The top of the plant and the inflorescence blushes red at anthesis.

A hybrid of (fasciculata x ionantha) made by the late Luis Ariza, well known bromeliad hybridist from the Dominican Republic. This same cross is also known as nidus and ’Fortin Jalapa’ as it has both been crossed by others and is often found occurring naturally wherever both parent species live together. This one was allegedly made with one of the small growing clones of fasciculata native to the D.R. 

A natural hybrid of (schiedeana x caput-medusae). Resembling both parents, it has a semi-bulbous base like that of caput-medusae, but with straight leaves of schiedeana. The color is white lepidote with a branched red to rarely green inflorescence, producing bi-colored flowers. 

This beautiful hybrid of (polystachia x capitata) by Steve Correale is a full rosette of recurving, light green leaves. An inflorescence with long red scape bracts and a cluster of glabrous, red-tipped green branches rises well above the foliage. 

An interesting hybrid of (capitata x extensa) by Steve Correale. Steve has been a fairly prolific hybridizer over the years but has registered few of his crosses. He does them to please himself, which is not such a bad thing, and doesn’t care much for naming them.

This plant has much more the look of the extensa parent, with long, narrow leaves and an excessively long inflorescence. Very long, pink and silver scape bracts and upright pink branches clustered at the top of the scape make it a showy plant. The foliage is dark reddish-brown but subtle, coated with silver trichomes that give it a pinkish tint. Easy to grow mounted. 

A small species with twisted foliage and fragrant light blue flowers. Native of Bolivia and Argentina where it grows in small clusters in the arid scrublands. The leaves are silvery, terete and somewhat kinked. Its inflorescence is like that of a streptocarpa, with light blue fragrant flowers. Grow bright and airy for best results.

An interesting and truly beautiful caulescent species from Paraguay with a very long stem bearing dozens of stiff, bronzy, 4 inch leaves. The inflorescence is a branching red spike with white flowers. We obtained our first specimen in the mid 1980’s from Prof. Dr. Werner Rauh, after he first described the species. We started with a single specimen and have released this plant periodically since. Easy to cultivate in bright light and good air circulation.

An attractive hybrid of (ionantha x chiapensis) by John Arden. As with most ionantha hybrids, it shows very strong characteristics of that species. A very leafy open rosette to about 8 or 10 inches tall with a pinkish blush to the scurfy, silvery leaves. The inflorescence is very colorful, a cluster of bright red branches nested deep in the center, with large, tubular, inky-blue flowers. Very pretty and easy to grow. Likes to be on the dry side. 

An interesting Mexican lithophytic species from Oaxaca where it lives in very arid conditions on rock outcrops. The leaves are very stiff, almost needle-like, about 18 inches long. The habit is like that of Till. juncea, but the foliage is much more robust. Related to T. rodrigueziana.

This attractive Mark Dimmit hybrid is a cultivar of (stricta x gardneri). Grows to about 8 inches across with many rather narrow, soft, silvery leaves. The inflorescence has pink bracts. An easy to grow plant that is also a good pupper.