From Guatemala. This cute little plant about 4 inches tall has a bright green bulbous base and twisted, wiry leaves that blush bright red when blooming. The inflorescence is a short scape with red branches and deep blue flowers. Grow shaded and moist for best results. Forms attractive clumps, can be grown hanging from a string. A must for every Tillandsia fancier. Good for terrariums too.

This crown jewel of ionanthas, is a rare caulescent form from Sumidero Canyon in Chiapas, Mexico, where it covers the canyon walls in some places, by the thousands. This form has short thick leaves on a 3 to 6 inch stem and blushes a peach color when in bloom and forms large cascading clusters. The plant is very different from typical ionanthas, with a long stem that forms many adventitious offsets which can be removed and grown or left to form a large cluster. Very easy to grow, bright and airy.

A cliff dwelling species from the high badlands of Honduras grows in a somewhat caulescent rosette with wide silvery leaves that blush pinkish when in bloom. The inflorescence is capitate on a short scape of peach colored bracts and lavender flowers. The range of this rarity from central Honduras is restricted to a few isolated limestone cliffs. The natural population has been decimated by forest fires but fortunately it is easily propagated and now grown in fairly large numbers.

If you like Till. aeranthos, you’ll love the variety aemula! Like a giant-growing form of the species, it is a very handsome and hardy plant from Southern Brazil. Somewhat more caulescent than the typical form, it has purplish-tinted foliage on a stem up to 12 inches long. The inflorescence is well exerted, about 6 inches long, with deep rose-colored bracts and deep blue flowers. Forms large clumps eventually, and can be grown mounted or just hanging on a string.

A hybrid of (mallemontii x duratii) by M. Patterson in Australia, it’s a pretty good combination of the two parents. Tillandsia duratii is a robust plant with a long stem and curling leaves, rootless in the adult form and producing a long, branched inflorescence with fragrant purple flowers. Tillandsia mallemontii is a plant with fine leaves, forming a tangled ball with many plants. The slender inflorescence is un-branched and produces a large, fragrant, purple flower.

The hybrid ‘Wonga’ looks more like a skinny duratii with many curly leaves and a long, branching inflorescence. The stunning thing though is that the flowers of both parents are very fragrant and those of ‘Wonga’ are not!