A species of northern and central Peru where it lives as an epiphyte in thorn forests of the arid foothills in the eastern Andes. Long popular with hobbyists it has been cultivated for years and several very fine clones have been selected out, chosen for size, foliage color and of course the inflorescences. This form has especially silvery leaves in a large growing rosette of many leaves. The inflorescence is about 18 inches tall with many lavender branches bearing white flowers edged in purple. Grow bright and airy for best results and feed often to attain best, biggest size.

One of the most desirable and sought Tillandsia species ever. This is the rare clone with the deep-red inflorescence, from the hinterlands of the Darien in Panama. A rather small plant, growing to about six inches across in a somewhat bulbous, greenish-gray open rosette. The inflorescence is a short inflated, disproportionately large, arrowhead-shaped scape of deep red. We collected our original stock of these beauties a some years ago on one of our most adventurous trips ever, and have established a nice sized colony. Easily forms clumps.

Grow bright, out of direct sun, keep warm and feed well.

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 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.

Tillandsia 'Redy' (streptophylla x concolor) acquired from Paul Isley. A large, colorful blooming Tillandsia that was named to honor Rainforest Flora retail nursery manager, Redy Bond. This is a stunning hybrid that was originally made by Dr. Mark Dimmitt. The numerous leaves often form a circular, windmill pattern. A real “stunner” as the Aussies would say. Rare!

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, Tillandsia hitchcockiana has narrow, stiff leaves in a graceful rosette.  The infloresence 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 infloresences, 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.