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. 

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 Guatemalan plant is a living pincushion. A marble-sized plant, with 2 inch long, needle-fine leaves and a 6 inch tall inflorescence of orange with blue flowers. Easily grown in a breezy spot, mounted. Will form little clusters. This species was commonly known as Til. argentina ‘fine leaf‘ but this name is not valid.

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. 

One of the faster growers. Will in time form clumps of dozens of plants if conditions are right. From Argentina, it is cold hardy and tolerant of sun or shade. Delicate blue & white flowers have gently twisted petals.

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!

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.

Many years ago I acquired my first specimen of this fine Tillandsia from Fred Fuchs, famed orchid collector and explorer, and never dreamed that I would ever see it growing wild. Years later our explorations took us to the arid scrub forests of western Ecuador and northern Peru where this plant was abundant, often in the crowns of towering Bombax trees.

A beautiful species with rather thin, very dark gray, stiff, almost brittle leaves in a symmetrical open rosette that can reach 18 inches across.

The inflorescence, a tall spike with a cluster of short branches, develops slowly, becoming vivid lacquer red and lasting in color for months.

A cross of two Mexican species: rothii x exserta. Taking on the characteristics of both parents, it is a handsome hybrid. The foliage is all exserta, long and gracefully arching, firm silvery leaves, much as that parent. The inflorescence is also strongly influences by exserta being very tall and thin, topped with a cluster of branches. It’s here that the rothii parent shows up. The branches are glabrous and tricolor from bottom to top; red, orange and yellow. Unusual and attractive.