A beautiful, giant growing form of this spectacular red-blushing Central American species. Normally about 6 inches across, this form easily reaches 12 inches or more! The leaves are green until anthesis and then blush bright red, which lasts for some weeks, then slowly fades back to green. A sub-mesic species that enjoys a bit more moisture than many of the gray leaved types.

This plant has not yet been published but has been in cultivation for a while under the name of Tillandsia cocoensis.

In correspondence with Eric Gouda he says that this plant is most likely a form of T. tenuifolia and will likely be published as T. tenuifolia var. cocoensis by Renate Ehlers, hopefully in the near future. It was discovered growing on the cliffs of Morro do Coco in Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil where it forms mats of plants with procumbent stems and stiff, silvery leaves. The flowers are slightly violet-white, borne on a short red scape with bright red bracts.

A cute and easy to grow species that blooms faithfully. Our plants came originally from the collection of the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens with the accession number of SEL91-0099A.

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. 

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.

This beautiful species is native to only a couple of isolated canyons in central Honduras. A large upright grower to over 30 inches, with stiff, reddish leaves and an inflorescence of long pink, upright, terete branches.

In nature it lives at the base of cliffs, supporting itself against rocks and other plants. In cultivation it can be kept bare root, mounted or may be potted in a well drained media.

Bill Timm’s hybrid of Tillandsia ionantha ‘Druid’ x ionantha v. vanhyningii, looks pretty much like a large vanhyningii. If this plant had turned out with a yellow blush instead of red, more like the ‘Druid’ parent, then this would have been a show stopper. But alas it isn’t yellow, but it is still a very nice, compact and colorful plant as you can see by the photo. 

A hybrid of (fasciculata x ionantha) made by the late Luis Ariza, well known bromeliad hybridist from the Dominican Republic. This same cross is also known as nidus and ’Fortin Jalapa’ as it has both been crossed by others and is often found occurring naturally wherever both parent species live together. This one was allegedly made with one of the small growing clones of fasciculata native to the D.R. 

This plant from Bolivia has a good possibility of being a new species. However, for now, we are offering it as a ’giant form’ of vernicosa, a species to which it is most similar. The leaves are very stiff and many in an 8 to 12 inch rosette, dark greenish bronze with a beautiful multi-branched inflorescence of pinkish orange with small white flowers. The colorful inflorescence lasts for several months. The regular form of this plant is 4 to 6 inches and by comparison this form is a true giant.

Tillandsia stricta The soft-leaved form from Brazil. Mature at about 3 to 4in, has fine green to reddish-tinted leaves and will flower with vivid rose-pink bracts and blue flowers.