A beautiful and dramatic looking species from a variety of habitats in Mexico and Central America into parts of the Caribbean.  Coastal habitats are preferred and this plant can often be found growing in mangroves or in very exposed locations in other open wooded habitats.  In nature it forms very large clusters and is sometimes inhabited by ants which take advantage of its bulbous base for housing. 

A striking plant that forms a turnip shaped and sized base of broad succulent leaves which hang down in curls.  the curliness of the leaves depends somewhat on the moisture content, becoming more curly as the plant dries out.  The leaves are coated with silvery trichomes and is quite attractive even when not in bloom.  The inflorescence is taller by more than double the base of the plant and the scape has long, curly, leaf-like bracts. Pink branches top the spike and produce purplish-blue flowers at anthesis. The color lasts for a long time and in good light, the inflorescence and some of the upper leaves of the plant can blush reddish. 

A choice plant that should be in every collection.  Easy to grow, mount or hang from a string ‘cradle’, water often and feed well to grow this plant to an impressive size.

An all-time favorite from Brazil is about 6 inches across in a leafy rosette with stiff gray-green leaves. It produces a stunning blue-flowered, plume-shaped pink inflorescence in the summer. In nature this plant can be found growing on the restinga sands of beach dunes and in trees in the foothills of the Atlantic Range in Brazil.

This cute little caulescent plant is a cross of (tectorum x paleacea) reaching about 6 to 8 inches long, with 2 inch fuzzy silver leaves. Not as fuzzy as the tectorum parent, but still very fuzzy. A very prolific, fast-grower, producing many offsets and forming clumps fairly quickly. The scape is about 6 inches long with purple flowers. Grow it hanging from a string or mount it. A very easy ‘confidence builder’ for beginners, but a nice plant for any collection. 

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

A beautiful and collectible Tillandsia from Guatemala which forms a large open rosette with wide recurving silver leaves and a handsome yellow inflorescence. Grown mounted or in a basket, the leaves will hang in long curls. Native to seasonally dry forests where they receive abundant sun and good air circulation, in cultivation does well in a hanging basket or a string ‘cradle’, just suspended in a bright, airy place.

A magnificent species now listed as endangered by C.I.T.E.S.

A large-growing Tillandsia that fits closer with fasciculata than anything else, with silvery-gray leaves to 24 inches long in a very large and full rosette. The inflorescence is massive, reaching well above the foliage on a thick scape, supporting a head of up to 20 fat bright-red braches up to 8 inches long and an inch thick.

The inflorescence lasts in good color for over a year. A likely natural hybrid of fasciculata x compressa that we got from Jamaica over 40 years ago.

A handsome hybrid of (capitata x fasciculata ‘Magnificent’) by Steve Correale with a 20 inch spreading rosette of fasciculata-type foliage, stiff and rather narrow, reddish and showing some banding on the undersides. The inflorescence is a red spike of short branches reaching about 10 inches tall. 

A smallish species of Tillandsia that grows on a long stem.  The narrow, stiff leaves are 2 to 3 inches long spaced along the stem and taper to a point.  The overall color is dark purplish with a silvery tint.  The inflorescence is a 2 inch scape with bright pink bracts and flaring blue flowers.  Clumps are easily formed and once a clump forms, the plants can be suspended from a string for cultivation. 

Native to Rio Grande do Sul in Southern Brazil, it has a strong resemblance to T. aeranthos though it must be significantly different enough to deserve species status.  Our plants came originally from the collection of Elton Leme.