A stunning hybrid that is a happenstance of nature. We imported a number of wild bromeliads from Mexico back in the 1980's and early '90s and this plant and one or two others of apparently the same natural cross: (streptophylla x botterii) were among them.

A large grower with characteristics of both parents. The basic shape of botterii along with the shape of the inflorescence but the thick texture and silvery trichomes of streptophylla. An upright, spreading vase, bulbous at the base, with silvery, half inch wide, fairly stiff, channeled leaves. The inflorescence is large, taller than the foliage with a red rachis and long, petiolate branches that are mostly yellow. A dramatic, beautiful plant. 

This plant is an apparent natural hybrid but we are reasonably certain that it is a cross of (riohondoensis x ionantha) that came in with a shipment of the former from Guatemala some years ago. We have been propagating it ever since. The plant has many narrow, velvety leaves in an upright vase shaped rosette. It can grow to over ten inches tall and wide with leaves about a half inch wide tapering to a point. The inflorescence is a capitate head of very tight branches on a short scape bearing long leaf-like bracts. The bracts blush pink at anthesis along with the upper whorl of leaves.

Overall the plant is silvery with a heavy coating of trichomes. The leaves are soft and graceful. We are naming this plant in honor of our dear friend Ruby Ryde of Australia. An avid bromeliad collector of many years with her late husband Keith and who has for years faithfully sent us a beautiful calendar of Australian nature each December. She is our ‘Calendar Girl’ and we are proud to have her as our friend!

An early hybrid (1960’s) by Charles Wiley is a cultivar of (seleriana x bulbosa). The cross was made in Eastern Germany and is a relic of the Cold War era. Aside from this, the plant is a handsome combination of both parents. More bulbosa-like it is however stouter with more leaves and has a slight scurff unlike the bulbosa parent. The inflorescence is a short rachis with red branches and a corresponding blush in the upper leaves at anthesis. 

This hybrid by Bill Timm is a cultivar of (capitata ‘Domingensis’ x ‘Casallena’). A medium to large plant with an upright, flaring vase shape. The leaves are long and taper from about a half inch wide to a slender tip and are green with a somewhat blotchy purple veneer, coated with silver trichomes.

The inflorescence is taller than the leaves with long, leaf-like scape bracts and a large cluster of glossy, deep red braches held upright, and dark blue flowers. An handsome plant!

A hybrid of (stricta x duratii) by Patterson. A caulescent plant to 18 inches, with a great many narrow, deeply channeled, curling, soft, silvery leaves that form a twisted cluster. The inflorescence is about 10 to 12 inches long, branched and produces open, purple flowers with a slight fragrance, though it is a reluctant bloomer. 

A probable cross of (duratii x stricta). A rosette-shaped plant with narrow, stiff, silvery-gray, succulent leaves spanning 16 inches. The inflorescence is an arching, branched panicle, purple in color with open, purplish flowers that have a fragrance similar to the duratii parent, but not as strong.

A hybrid of (concolor x roland-gosselinii) by Bill Timm. A knock out with broad, stiff, recurving leaves in a full rosette. The color is silvery with a reddish blush in strong light. The inflorescence is branched, not too tall, and yellow. An extremely nice plant! 

A natural hybrid of (ehlersiana x streptophylla) from Chiapas, Mexico. There are those that believe that T. ehlersiana is itself a hybrid, so it is not surprising that it would hybridize with other plants sharing the same habitat. This plant looks like an ehlersiana in general aspect, a fat-bottomed beauty with wider, contorted, deeply channeled leaves, silvery all over with a more open, pretty pink inflorescence. 

Tillandsia 'Pink Sensation' (streptophylla x brachycaulos)

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. 

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.

One of the all-time favorite, easy to grow, beautiful Tillandsias, from Chiapas, Mexico. A pinkish-silver plant with wide, leathery, scurfy leaves in a broadly spreading open rosette. Can grow to 18 inches, but usually is much smaller.

The inflorescence, which can last in color for a year, is an inflated, sometimes branched, pink spike. A cliff-dweller from the dramatic canyons of Chiapas, it best kept mounted in bright light, and fed frequently.