Unusual for the cross, this same cross; Tillandsia edithae x albertiana, has been made several times in the past and is registered under at least two names. Both however have red flowers, as one might expect with a cross of two red-flowered parents. This one has large purple flowers, silvery pink bracts and nice silvery leaves in a leafy, upright rosette. This plant freely produces many offsets.

This is a spectacular collector item with a great shape and beautiful color. Widely spreading rosettes of deep-red leathery leaves bear an inflorescence of bright yellow with a capitate head and long scape bracts.

Few Tillandsias are more striking when in bloom. Best in bright light, in a fast draining media. Can be grown mounted or epiphytically, but will not produce as large a plant.

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 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.

Also known as ‘Huamelula‘, is among the largest and loveliest of the various ionantha forms. It occurs naturally on rocky cliffs above a deep seaside canyon in Oaxaca, Mexico. This form grows up to six inches across in a spreading rosette, and colors a magnificent overall red when in bloom. Large, lovely and easy to grow!

A Mexican plant with very stiff leaves in an open rosette of 6 to 8 inches. The leaves are yellowish, blushing reddish in strong light or full sun and it produces a shiny red to yellow-green, branched inflorescence with pink flowers. Easy to grow, preferring conditions on the bright and dry side. Can be suspended from a string or mounted on wood, cork, stone or other substrate. Suitable for dry terrarium use.

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. 

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

A Guatemalan species to about 8 x 10 inches with lovely thick silvery leaves, a bright red, cylindrical, simple spike and purple flowers. Nice for mounting. Considered an endangered species, is rather rare in nature, but very commonly cultivated. Especially easy to grow, a confidence builder for beginners.

A tiny fan shaped plant that forms massive clusters. Each individual plant grows to about three inches tall and wide. It is found mainly as a twig epiphyte from Paraguay to Argentina and Bolivia. Our plants are from material that we collected near Mataral, Santa Cruz, Bolivia in 1994. It can often be seen growing in ball-like clusters on power lines. The flowers are tiny but pretty, purple colored, flaring and mildly fragrant. Culture with bright light and ample air circulation. Does great just hanging on a wire or string. Do not allow clumping plants to remain wet for long after watering.

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.