A nice Paterson hybrid of concolor x brachycaulos. The leaves have a reddish tinge normally that will turn bright red when in bloom.

*VIPP Budded as of 08/04

Jim Irvin’s cultivar of (ionantha v. vanhyningi x caputmedusae ‘Red form’) shows some characteristics of both parents. Overall it is most similar to the caput-medusae parent with a somewhat bulbous base and narrow leaves flaring outward. The leaves are semi-terete but do not contort like caput-medusae often does. 

The ionantha v. vanhyningii aspect comes through in the inflorescence which is a short scape of tight branches and rosy red bracts. At anthesis the upper leaves blush reddish and in bright light they can be reddish most of the time.

A fairly new species from Sierra de Niltepec, Zanatepec, Oaxaca, Mexico. A smallish grower 6 to 8 inches tall is a lithophyte or cliff dwelling species in nature. The leaves are stiff in an upright to slightly spreading rosette, silvery-gray and tapering to a point. The inflorescence is short to about 1.5 times the length of the leaves, well branched and light green with white flowers. Rare in collections.

A strange cliff dwelling species from Oaxaca, Mexico, growing to eight inches or so in a somewhat recurved rosette. The leaves are thick, succulent and rather glossy. A simple pink spike with purple flowers forms the inflorescence. A rare but hardy, easily cultivated species.

A small lithophytic, clustering plant to about 2 inches, with short, stiff and rather succulent, dark gray leaves. Widely flaring, half inch pink flowers are borne on a short scape in small clusters. We’ve seen grapefruit sized clusters of this species growing on rocky cliffs in Bolivia, covered with pink flowers. In cultivation it enjoys growing mounted and kept in bright light with good air circulation. Allow to dry quickly after watering.

A purported natural hybrid from Oaxaca, Mexico of Tillandsia tomasellii x fasciculata v. densispica, though such parentage can only be an educated guess but both suggested parents do live together in the area. A large grower with broad, deeply channeled, tapering, silvery leaves. The shape is an open rosette with the leaves growing in a recurved spiral.

The inflorescence is a tall scape, red but made pink by silvery trichomes. The scape bracts are long and leaf-like, blushing reddish towards the top of the rachis. A dozen or more stout branches of pale yellow form a loose cluster well above the foliage. This is a handsome plant with long lasting color.

A large robust species with thick, leathery leaves is a rock dweller from central Mexico. Reddish foliage in an open rosette and a showy, tall inflorescence of orange. A choice plant that is easy to grow and can be potted or mounted.

A natural hybrid of (flexuosa x funckiana) that we collected in Venezuela in the late 1990’s. This plant is from a completely different area than the one described by Gouda in 2002, but it likely would be considered the same taxa. Our plant is from the state of Carabobo on the old road from Valencia to Puerto Cabello, a long distance from the Merida locality of the other. We found ours growing on a rock, in light forest in partial shade. The Tillandsia flexuosa and funckiana in this area are quite different looking than the ones near Merida which is much higher in altitude and much drier.

An interesting plant with long, stiff leaves along a caulescent stem, silvery green in color, clump forming. The inflorescence is a thin scape no higher than the foliage, with large flowers of deep rose red that are tubular with flaring petals that recurve at the tips. A very interesting plant that leaves no doubt about its hybrid origins.

A species with long very thin, grassy leaves, that are stiff, succulent and form a spreading, funnelform rosette. Closely resembling Tillandsia hammeri, it differs in being larger, more spreading, less silvery and stoloniferous. The inflorescence has more and wider branches but is more compact and taller, among other differences. Native to limestone outcrops near Nizanda, Oaxaca, Mexico, it was first collected by Ehlers and only described in 2016. The many leaves form an upright rosette to nearly two feet tall with an erect inflorescence of pink bracts and deep violet flowers.

Formerly Vriesea hitchcockiana, now classified as Tillandsia,  hitchcockiana has narrow, stiff leaves in a graceful rosette.  The inflorescence is pink, branched and very tall, with lavender flowers.  Native from Ecuador to Peru, it is a saxicole or epiphyte in nature.  It bears certain similarity to Vr. cereicola but lacks the stoloniferous habit of that species.

Tillandsia hitchcockiana and Vriesea cereicola are two species of gray leaved Vrieseas that are superficially similar. Both have stiff leaves and grow in a more or less tight, upright rosette. Their inflorescences, an overall pink, can be simple or branched. Some basic differences are this; hitchcockiana is a dark brownish gray and does not have stolons, cereicola is silver and is quite stoloniferous. Both are epiphytic or saxicolous, cereicola is fond of growing on cacti, hence the name.