Tillandsia flabellata - intense red spikes!

Tillandsia flabellata is a species in the genus Tillandsia. This species is native to southern Mexico (Veracruz, Oaxaca, Chiapas) and Central America (Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua)
Two varieties are recognized:  

1. Tillandsia flabellata - Oaxaca, Chiapas, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua 

Tillandsia 'Big Red'
(A consistently large form of T. flabellata, collected by Florida grower Steve Correale in 1978 from near the Mayan ruins in Copán, Honduras. Mature open rosette to 60 cm diameter x 30 cm high. The scurfed, channeled, arching green leaves, 43 cm long x 2.5 cm wide, are pale frosted red underneath (discolor), tapering to a point. Upright green inflorescence to 50 cm tall with approximately 10 salmon orange / pink branches each to 23 cm long with blue flowers. Reg. Doc. 6/2016 by Sue Styer.
Country of origin: Honduras) 
in habitat:

 This species can become massive plants! Plants 0.75m high and 0.6 wide is quite common. With the spike they can become higher than 1m. The leaves of the plants are very prone to damage and the plant should be hanged/placed where people or animals can not disturb them.

Some of my plants: One spiking in the background and the one to the front to show the size.

 The spike forming:

Flowering - impressive candelabra:

The shiny spike and a flower:

 Comparison with another form that do not form a candelabra - but the leaves are still soft and red.

Another one mounted on a trunk:

 Now flowering:

Cultivation: As seen, in my conditions,  the plants can be grown mounted or potted up in a very open mix. They need at least 60-80% sunlight to do well. They can be watered with the rest of the collection because they can save some water in the base of the leaves. They respond well to feeding - a little bit at a time but as regularly as possible.(I use mainly organics.)

The plant set seeds easily and 3-5 pups form after flowering. Remove the pups if they are 50% the size of the parents or leave them to form a nice clump. 

Another plant from Erudite Ephiphyte:

 Hybrids: Tillandsia flabellata x concolor, Tillandsia flabellata  x Jalisco monticola questionable source Tillandsia flabellata  x fasciculata

 Hybrids: Tillandsia flabbelata x xerographica

Other cultivars:

• TILLANDSIA Bacchus
• TILLANDSIA Barbados
• TILLANDSIA Bellisimo
• TILLANDSIA Brooloo
• TILLANDSIA Brooyar
• TILLANDSIA Chu I-Hsiung
• TILLANDSIA Cooloola
• TILLANDSIA Evelyn Reilly
• TILLANDSIA Flamenco
• TILLANDSIA Florida Fuego
• TILLANDSIA Goomboorian
• TILLANDSIA Graceful
• TILLANDSIA Gympie
• TILLANDSIA Holm's Krakatoa
• TILLANDSIA Holm's Darling
• TILLANDSIA Inskip
• TILLANDSIA Larosa
• TILLANDSIA Latas au Pair
• TILLANDSIA Little Richard Olson
• TILLANDSIA Memory of Roy
• TILLANDSIA Oeseriana
• TILLANDSIA Queen's Fiesta
• TILLANDSIA Queen's Trinket
• TILLANDSIA Scarlet Pimpernel
• TILLANDSIA Sombrero
• TILLANDSIA Theebine
• TILLANDSIA Velveteen
• TILLANDSIA Yabba