Species

A medium-sized species with stiff, recurved gray-green leaves. It produces a colorful, long-lasting pink inflorescence with yellow-green flowers.

Tillandsia acuminata is a bromeliad in the genus Tillandsia, native to Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. It is an epiphytic species with elongated, narrow leaves that taper to a fine point, and produces a spike inflorescence with small tubular flowers.

Aechmea aguadocensis is a bromeliad species in the family Bromeliaceae, native to South America. It is an epiphytic or terrestrial plant forming a rosette of strap-shaped leaves with spiny margins. The inflorescence bears small flowers typical of the genus Aechmea.

Tillandsia albertiana is a small, clump-forming bromeliad native to northwestern Argentina. It produces narrow, silvery-green leaves covered in trichomes, arranged alternately along the stem. The species bears vivid red three-petaled flowers that emerge directly from the leaf axils without a visible peduncle.

Aechmea ampla is a bromeliad species in the family Bromeliaceae, native to South America. It produces broad, strap-shaped leaves with serrated margins that form a rosette capable of holding water in its central tank. The inflorescence is compound, bearing bracts and small flowers typical of the genus.

A small species forming a distinctive spherical rosette of fine, needle-like green leaves radiating outward from a central point, typically 7 to 10 cm in diameter. Predominantly saxicolous, growing on cliff faces, and rarely epiphytic. Produces a single large tubular red flower from the center of the rosette. Leaves may blush orange to red prior to flowering. Taxonomically close to T. funckiana, sharing similar growth form and flower morphology.

A Peruvian species with soft, green leaves that form a loose rosette. The floral bracts are often brightly colored.

Often confused with T. fuchsii, the true T. argentea has a branching inflorescence, clear leaf sheaths, and produces bright red flowers. Forms a small, grassy tuft.

A rare species with a pseudobulbous base and relatively smooth leaves. It is related to T. pruinosa but has distinct glabrous or sparsely lepidote foliage.

Tillandsia arpocalyx is a small to medium-sized epiphytic bromeliad in the family Bromeliaceae, native to Mexico. It forms a compact rosette of narrow, silvery leaves densely covered with trichomes. The inflorescence produces tubular flowers characteristic of the genus Tillandsia.

A lithophytic species with a compact rosette of tapering leaves. It is native to high-altitude rocky regions.

An epiphytic species native to the regions around Lake Atitlan. It features soft, greenish leaves and a tall flower spike.

A miniature species with stiff, gray, distichous leaves growing in a fan shape. It produces fragrant blue to violet flowers and forms spherical clumps.

Tillandsia belloensis is a small to medium-sized epiphytic bromeliad in the family Bromeliaceae, endemic to Guatemala. It forms a compact rosette of narrow, silvery-gray leaves densely covered in trichomes. The inflorescence bears pink to red bracts with violet to purple tubular flowers.

A small saxicolous or epiphytic species from Mexico. It has succulent, tapering leaves and forms clumps.

A rare epiphytic species native to the high Andes of Ecuador. Information in cultivation is limited.

Tillandsia boliviana is a bromeliad species in the family Bromeliaceae, native to Bolivia and surrounding Andean regions. It forms rosettes of narrow, silvery-green leaves covered in trichomes, which aid in water and nutrient absorption. It produces a spike inflorescence with tubular flowers.

A striking species from Peru, known for its large size and pink floral bracts. It grows on rock faces or trees.

A species native to Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, described as new to science in 2013. It is morphologically most similar to Tillandsia didisticha.

A species native to the states of Durango and Sinaloa in the Sierra Madre Occidental of Mexico, growing epiphytically in pine-oak forests. Described in 2007. Related species include Tillandsia carloshankii, Tillandsia prodigiosa, and Tillandsia macrochlamys.

Native to Veracruz, Mexico. It forms a tank-type rosette with green leaves that can turn reddish in strong light.

A large, impressive species from the mountains of Mexico. It features a large rosette of silver-gray leaves and a tall, branched inflorescence.

Endemic to the high Andes of Colombia. This species resembles Tillandsia turneri but is smaller, growing in sub-paramo vegetation.

A small to medium-sized pseudobulbous green-leaved (mesic) species described by Mez in 1935. The leaves are few, soft, long, and sinuous, emerging from a conspicuously swollen pseudobulbous base. The leaf blades are thin, hard, and involute in the upper portion, characteristically mottled with dark brown or reddish-brown irregular markings on a green background. The inflorescence is a slender spike borne on a thin, erect scape, with bright red bracts and tubular blue-violet to purple flowers. The species is myrmecophytic; in its natural habitat, symbiotic ants nest within the broadened leaf bases of the pseudobulb. It grows as an epiphyte, often forming large colonies in humid montane forests from central Mexico to Panama. A variety with pinkish flowers, var. roseiflora, has been described.

Endemic to Peru. It is a saxicolous or epiphytic species with gray-lepidote leaves, producing a red floral spike.

Endemic to Mexico. An epiphytic species with a rosette of gray-green leaves and a pink inflorescence, found in dry forests.

A small, clump-forming species native to Bolivia and Argentina. It has brownish-gray leaves and produces fragrant, brown-spotted yellow flowers.

Native to Mexico and Guatemala. A robust species with soft, gray-green leaves forming a dense rosette, often turning reddish before blooming.

Historically treated as a species but often considered a synonym or variety of Tillandsia fasciculata. It shares the characteristic stiff, gray leaves and colorful spikes.

A striking species from Oaxaca, Mexico. It has a large rosette of flexible, sub-glabrous leaves and a densely branched, colorful inflorescence.

Native to Central America. A large epiphyte with soft, green leaves covered in fine scales, producing a tall, branched inflorescence.

A large tank-type epiphytic bromeliad with countless narrow, silvery gray leaves and a tall inflorescence with bright red bracts bearing long, ribbon-like tips. It is native to high-elevation oak-pine forests in southern Mexico. The species has been the subject of ecological research regarding its host preferences and arthropod communities.

An endemic species from Chiapas, Mexico, characterized by a unique rosette with drooping lower leaves and semi-erect upper leaves, producing a digitate inflorescence.

A relatively large species native to the Andean regions of Peru and Bolivia, found growing epiphytically or lithophytically.

Tillandsia celata is a small epiphytic bromeliad native to Brazil. It belongs to the green-leaved (mesic) group and typically grows in humid forest environments. The leaves are soft and green, arranged in a rosette.

Tillandsia cernua is a small epiphytic bromeliad native to Mexico and Central America. It has narrow, recurved leaves covered with silver trichomes and produces a simple inflorescence with small tubular flowers. The species name 'cernua' refers to the nodding or drooping habit of the inflorescence.

Tillandsia chapalillaensis is an epiphytic bromeliad native to Mexico, described from the Chapalilla area of Nayarit state. It has narrow, trichome-covered leaves adapted to seasonally dry tropical forests.

Tillandsia chartacea is an epiphytic bromeliad native to Ecuador and Peru. Its name derives from the papery texture ('chartacea' means paper-like) of its floral bracts. It has green to grayish leaves and produces a distinctive flattened inflorescence.

An epiphytic species with rigid, leathery leaves of pale greenish color. The inflorescence is more robust than related species, with flowers larger than the rachis and broadly suborbicular floral bracts. Distinguished from T. makoyana by its green rather than grey coloration, shorter but wider leaves, and white flowers with a slightly open throat rather than violet flowers with a closed throat. Formally described by R. Ehlers in 2006.

An epiphytic bromeliad that grows a rosette of broad, straplike leaves often intensely mottled with red. It produces a large, pendulous red inflorescence. The plant has a dense rosette structure with silvery-green leaves covered in tiny scales that assist moisture absorption. Widespread but not common in cloud forests along the Andes.

An acaulescent epiphytic species, 12 to 25 cm tall, with a spreading rosette of many pale green leaves, often streaked or spotted with purple-red. It produces multiple inflorescences from the leaf axils. Petals are ligulate, approximately 2 cm long, and rose, purple, or blue in color. The capsule is slenderly cylindric and acute, 4 cm long.

A medium-sized mesic species approximately 25 cm tall, found in montane forests. The gray-green leaves sometimes tint reddish in strong light. The inflorescence is branched with bright red-orange scape bracts and reddish floral bracts coated with a waxy powder, bearing purple flowers. Described by Andre in 1888.

A rare lithophytic bromeliad endemic to the southern Espinhaço Range in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Forms rosettes with narrow leaves and produces compound inflorescences with orange-yellow flowers. Named after botanist Apparicio P. Duarte. Originally described as Cryptanthus duartei.

A large, variable, tank-forming species lacking discernible stems. Leaves are arranged in a rosette, leathery, grey-green with a waxy coating, 30 to 80 cm in length, forming basal cups that hold water and detritus. The inflorescence is a panicle of spikes shorter than the leaves, with bright red bracts and violet to white flowers. A highly variable species with multiple recognized varieties. In the southeastern United States (Florida), populations are threatened by the invasive Mexican bromeliad weevil (Metamasius callizona).

A medium-sized stemless species forming a dense, rounded rosette of numerous fine, thread-like leaves approximately 7 cm in length. The species name means "thread-leaved." Leaf sheaths are grape-violet to chestnut-colored with small, dispersed trichomes. The inflorescence is bipinnate with many slender spikes bearing small flowers with violet petals. Grows as an epiphyte in seasonally dry tropical forests.

Distinctive caulescent (stem-forming) air plant with needle-like leaves resembling small pine branches. Produces spectacular scarlet-red tubular flowers. Forms long, draping clumps over time. Named after Belgian botanist Nicolas Funck.

A caulescent lithophytic species that grows on rocks. It features a distinct star-shaped rosette with stiff, trichome-covered leaves. It often forms large mats in its native habitat.

A popular small epiphytic species that forms compact rosettes. The leaves turn vivid red during the blooming cycle, producing purple tubular flowers. It clumps readily over time.

A high-altitude caulescent species. Despite its specific name "nana" (dwarf), it can form long stems. It requires cool temperatures and high humidity but constant airflow.

A small epiphytic species from the highlands of Bolivia and Argentina. Forms compact rosettes with silvery-grey leaves covered in trichomes. Grows on perpendicular rocks and thorn shrub vegetation.

A saxicolous or epiphytic species endemic to Peru. It forms a rosette of grayish-green leaves covered in trichomes. The inflorescence is typically simple or digitately compound with rose-colored floral bracts.

A large, impressive species native to Mexico. It features wide, green leaves and produces a tall, branched inflorescence with distinctive salmon-colored bracts.

A saxicolous species endemic to Bolivia, specifically around Samaipata. It has soft, gray-green leaves and produces a simple or few-branched inflorescence with white flowers.

A large, tank-type species native to Colombia. It has dark, maroon-tinged leaves and a unique pendulous inflorescence. It is adapted to cool, humid cloud forest environments.

A saxicolous or epiphytic species from Mexico. It forms a rosette of stiff, channeled leaves. The inflorescence usually exceeds the leaves.

A high-elevation tank bromeliad found in the Andes. It has a robust rosette and a branched inflorescence. Adapted to cool, misty habitats.

A Mexican species featuring a somewhat bulbous base and soft, spreading leaves. It produces a distinctive inflorescence with broad floral bracts.

A widely distributed, hardy species. It usually forms clumps of stiff, thin, gray leaves. Distinguished by its yellow flower petals and red floral bracts.

A saxicolous or epiphytic species native to Honduras and Guatemala. It forms a rosette of gray-green leaves and produces a long, pendulous inflorescence with striking red or pink bracts.

An epiphytic species found in Mexico and Honduras. It features narrow, green to gray-green leaves and a flattened inflorescence. It usually grows in pine-oak forests.

A natural hybrid between T. complanata and T. stenoura, described in 2024. It is a large epiphyte found in the high Andes of Ecuador, combining features of both parents.

A large, robust species native to the Andes. It forms a large rosette and produces a tall inflorescence with lavender flowers. It is adapted to cool, wet tropical environments.

An epiphytic species found in the cloud forests of Colombia and Venezuela. It forms a rosette of flexible leaves and produces a compact, globose inflorescence with pink bracts.

A mesic species native to Guatemala and Mexico. It features a bulbous base and soft green leaves. The inflorescence has red bracts and violet petals.

A widely distributed species in South America. The leaves are covered in trichomes and often recurve or curl. It produces fragrant blue or purple flowers.

A highly adaptable and popular air plant with narrow triangular leaves forming thick rosettes. Produces bright red or rose bloom spikes with blue-purple flowers. One of the most widely cultivated Tillandsia species.

Known as Spanish moss, with the widest distribution of any bromeliad, ranging from the southeastern United States to Argentina. Forms long, hanging festoons of slender, grayish-green stems up to 6 meters or more, draping from tree branches. Despite its common name, it is neither Spanish nor a moss, but a true flowering bromeliad. An epiphyte that absorbs all moisture and nutrients through its silvery trichome-covered leaves. Provides habitat for wildlife including birds, bats, and specialized spiders. Historically used for mattress stuffing, insulation, and crafts.

An epiphytic species endemic to the Central Mexican Plateau. Forms rosettes of leaves and grows primarily on large trees in humid temperate forests, particularly on Abies religiosa, Quercus rugosa, and Quercus laurina. The species name "violacea" refers to the violet coloration of the flowers. Due to its high-elevation habitat, this species exhibits tolerance to sub-freezing conditions, distinguishing it from most other Tillandsia species.