This is a very odd hybrid that doesn’t much resemble either parent. Assuming that the reported cross is correct, the plant does not have the thick leaves of either parent, the long stem or curled leaves of duratii or an inflorescence resembling either parent in any way. The flowers are large, spreading and light blue, borne on a tall scape with green bracts. The foliage is silvery, stiff, straight and forms a leafy rosette. Whether this hybrid is correctly identified remains a question, at least to me, but does not take away from the fact that this is a handsome plant.

An unusual cross of (baileyi x achryostachys) by Patterson. An upright rosette with few leaves, about 12 inches tall. The foliage is narrow, fairly soft and silvery. A simple inflorescence is lanceolate in shape, mostly green but tinted pink. 

An apparent natural hybrid from Mexico of (brachycaulos x paucifolia) as identified by Harry Luther. After acquiring the plant, Bill Timm made a note to ‘Ask Harry’ and I guess the name stuck. Wouldn’t have been my pick, but it is what it is. Anyway, this is a handsome little plant in an upright vase shape of stiff, deeply channeled leaves that are reddish with light silver banding. The inflorescence is fairly short, may or may not branch and is pink with blue flowers. Showy plants. 

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.

A hybrid of (brachycaulos x schiedeana). Upright to 10 inches, it has rather narrow leaves and an attenuated inflorescence that forms a tightly capitate head. A late-spring bloomer, with rosy-blushing silvery leaves and yellow flowers. This is a very interesting and different-looking plant. 

A hybrid of (capitata x streptophylla). An extraordinary beauty that takes on a bulbous shape with wide, recurving, curling leaves coated with silvery scurf.

The inflorescence is fairly short with long, curling scape bracts and a tightly clustered head of red branches and light blue flowers. The whole plant takes on a reddish-peach blush at anthesis. A choice plant. 

A beautiful cross by Bob Spivey of (roland-gosselinii x chiapensis). It has the fuzzy, velvety look of chiapensis, but an inflorescence that betrays the cross. A fairly short red scape bearing long branches that are red on bottom and bright green on top, with blue flowers. The foliage is silvery, tinted pinkish in strong light. A real beauty. About 16 to 18 inches wide and nearly as tall when in bloom. 

This hybrid by Bill Timm is a cultivar of (chiapensis x roland-gosselinii). One of those ‘dream crosses’ using two fantastic plants as parents and getting stunning results. The hybrid is right down the line between the two, taking on the silver leaves and inflorescence shape of the chiapensis parent and the size, and inflorescence coloration closer to the roland-gosselinii parent. Reaching a full 30 inches across, the plant is impressive for size alone, but can also stay in bloom for months. A great plant. 

A cultivar of concolor x capitata ‘Rubra’ by L. Ariza of the Dominican Republic. A really nice cross with gracefully recurving, stiff foliage that is bright red in strong light. The showy inflorescence turns intense red-orange with blue flowers. A very choice and colorful plant. 

A Joe Carrone hybrid of (brachycaulos x streptophylla). An open rosette of light green, curling, silvery dusted leaves form a somewhat bulbous base. An inflorescence that has long, pinkish-lavender blushing bracts and a tight cluster of pinkish branches rises about 6 inches above the foliage. A handsome, easy to grow and prolific plant. 

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

A beautiful and unusual hybrid of (ionantha x harrisii). A graceful upright rosette with arching, velvety-white leaves that taper to a fine point. The rosette is about ten inches across and nine inches tall with many leaves. The leaf texture is rather soft and the leaves are coated with silvery trichomes on both sides. At anthesis the center few whorls of leaves blush pink and an inflorescence of reddish pink emerges but stays lower in the center of the plant. Flowers are tall and tubular, blue with lighter tips.

An interesting cross of kegeliana x rothii for which we have little information. The plant most certainly show strong influence of the rothii parent with an open rosette shape of wide, fairly stiff leaves and a branched inflorescence of inflated branches. The kegeliana doesn’t manifest itself much but definitely makes the plant look a lot different than a pure rothii. The flowers are white.