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. 

A silvery cross of duratii x gardneri. Somewhat caulescent with broad leaves, heavily covered in silvery trichomes and slightly curling at their tips. A purple inflorescence has tightly erect branches and mauve flowers.

Named by Singapore grower Ian Liaw in honor of his wife June Tew. 

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. 

A hybrid of T. chiapensis x capitata 'Rubra' (Chiapas) by Pamela Koide-Hyatt that is a good representation of both parents. It has the overall shape of the capitata parent; an upright rosette of arching leaves and an inflorescence that is a cluster of branches forming a tight head, with long, curling scape bracts. The leaves are thick and leathery, like the chiapensis parent, and keep the pinkish-silver coloration. The branches are bright, silvery pink. Plant is 25 cm tall with spike, 35-40 cm diameter. Triangular leaves, to 20 cms. long, are covered with fine dense trichomes. Leaf bases are 3.5-4 cm wide. Short, semi-recessed, slightly-branched pink spathe has purple petals. Differs from hybrid T. 'Coconut Grove' as T. 'Pink Sorbet' is always pink, never red and a different clone/color of the variable species Tillandsia capitata used as pollen parent.

A curious hybrid of cacticola ‘Splendid’ x duratii has some characteristics of both parents but really resembles neither. The plant forms an upright rosette of stiff, succulent leaves that taper to a curling tip. The inflorescence is upright, usually simple, dark purple with pale lavender flowers. Unusual.

One of the more unusual forms of the widely diverse latifolia group. An open rosette of wide, succulent leaves with a rose colored inflorescence that is very long lasting and attractive. A rare lithophytic species restricted to a few canyons of northern Peru.  A rock dweller with a shrinking range due in part to the damming of the Chancay, the plant makes a spectacular specimen. Grown into a second generation the plants take on a special beauty, responding well to fertilizer and minimal care. Mostly mature plants, seldom seen in collections. A slow grower but worth the wait!

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 fairly new species from Sierra de Niltepec, Zanatepec, Oaxaca, Mexico. A smallish grower 6 to 8 inches tall is a lithophyte or cliff dwelling species in nature. The leaves are stiff in an upright to slightly spreading rosette, silvery-gray and tapering to a point. The inflorescence is short to about 1.5 times the length of the leaves, well branched and light green with white flowers. Rare in collections.