Tillandsia bradeana x flabellata

Product Description

Tillandsia ‘Bradeana x Flabellata’ is a hybrid of great beauty. As a hybrid, it can exhibit characteristics of both parent plants, but the exact appearance can vary between individual seedlings. Here’s what we can tell you about the parent species to infer potential traits of the hybrid:

Tillandsia bradeana:

Appearance: This species is known for its soft, lime-green leaves, often resembling Tillandsia brachycaulos in its vegetative state.  
Bloom: A notable characteristic is its deep burgundy to red coloration when it blushes before and during blooming. It produces a relatively simple inflorescence.  
Growth Habits: It’s considered a collectible variety and reportedly prefers low light, warm temperatures, and regular watering.
Tillandsia flabellata:

Appearance: Tillandsia flabellata features arching, strap-like leaves that can range from deep green to maroon or reddish tones, especially in lower light conditions. The leaves are often described as thick and shiny and arranged in a bouquet-like structure. It can grow to be a relatively large air plant, reaching up to 12-18 inches in height.  
Bloom: It produces a prominent, often candelabra-shaped, branched inflorescence with bright red to scarlet bracts and small, tubular violet flowers.
Growth Habits: This species is native to southern Mexico and Central America and is considered relatively easy to grow. It can even be grown in well-draining orchid mix or sphagnum moss, unlike many other air plants that prefer to be mounted bare-root. It enjoys medium filtered light and regular watering.  
Potential Characteristics of Tillandsia ‘Bradeana x Flabellata’:

Given the parentage, the hybrid Tillandsia ‘Bradeana x Flabellata’ might exhibit some combination of the following traits:

Foliage: The leaves could be somewhat strap-like and arching, potentially with a base color of green-lime green that might blush to reddish or burgundy hues under certain conditions (like brighter light or before blooming). The texture might be somewhat glossy.
Size: It could grow to be a medium to large-sized air plant.
Inflorescence: The flower spike might be branched, inheriting this trait from T. flabellata, and could display red or burgundy bracts, possibly with violet flowers. The shape of the inflorescence could be intermediate between the simpler bloom of T. bradeana and the more elaborate one of T. flabellata.
Growing Conditions: It would likely prefer bright, indirect light and regular watering, similar to T. flabellata, but might also tolerate slightly lower light conditions as suggested by T. bradeana’s preferences. Good air circulation and thorough drying after watering will be important for its health.
In summary, Tillandsia ‘Bradeana x Flabellata’ is likely to be an attractive hybrid air plant with the potential for colorful foliage and a showy bloom. The exact characteristics will depend on the specific cross and the individual plant. As with many hybrids, it is grown for its unique combination of desirable traits from its parentage.