July 13th, 10 am
Balboa Park

​Plant Outside the Box: Using Tillandsias for Art, Design, and... Privacy?

Possibly the cutest bromeliad mascot you’ll ever see!

Tillandsias continue to challenge the way we welcome these plants into our homes and gardens. For the creatives among us, Tillandsias seem like a medium with infinite possibilities! For more practical and pragmatic people (like me), we just want to know where we can and can't put a Tillandsia.

In this program, you will got an idea of just how limitless your possibilities are when it comes to using Tillandsias in the garden. We will focus on some of the fun and unique display methods I have had success with, including my latest project, a 70ft long Tillandsia fence in my yard. Lots of photos and in person visuals for you to learn from, projects for every skill level! Hopefully this will spark creativity in your own garden!

Bio: Andy Cuffel is a plant nerd and the owner of Cuffel Farms, a tillandsia nursery in the Clairemont neighborhood of San Diego. Andy earned a degree in economics and worked in the non-profit sector for over a decade, but 7 years ago he decided to make his passion--growing and collecting Tillandsias--his career. Andy built his knowledge by entrenching himself in the industry, working for Chris Davis, Jeffrey Kent, and Pam Koide-Hyatt. Andy turned Cuffel Farms into a top 50 nursery in the US according to Yelp, but his greatest accomplishment will come this November when he becomes a Dad.

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Starting in July — a big bunch of fresh plants are Coming to YOU - members of the SDBS,
acquired at the World Bromeliad Conference, held back in May in West Palm Beach:

As always, die-hard bromeliad fans came together in May at the World Bromeliad conference [WBC] for tours, seminars, a huge plant sale, plant show, and social activities like the opening reception and bbq, breakfasts, cocktail hour, and the closing banquet and rare pant auction.

Your Plant Chair got into the massive plant sale zone a half hour ahead of most other attendees, and he shopped like a mad man for the San Diego Bromeliad Society plant table. This summer, our opportunity and auction tables will be the beneficiary of the conference. Every two years, at the conference, growers and hybridizers release new hybrids and put for sale unusual offerings. Over two dozen exciting plants will be available for the next two or three meetings. Many of the plants are shiny, gorgeous Neoregelias, as Neo's are by far the most common genus of bromeliads grown in Florida.

SDBS Raffle & Auction Plants from the WBC for Summer 2024:

• Aechmea Conner (Not a registered hybrid)
• Aechmea orlandiana nice clone
• Aechmea Skotak’s Wild Ace
• Neoregelia Blueberry Blizzard (Vinzant hybrid)
• Neoregelia Capoeira (Not a registered hybrid)
• Neoregelia Despocito
• Neoregelia Flash Dance
• Neoregelia Get Out of the Way (Tropiflora)
• Neoregelia Hypershock (separated from double)
• Neoregelia Perfect Score x Golden Fever (Wingert hybrid)
• Neoregelia Plum Tart (Vinzant hybrid)
• Neoregelia Potpourri (Skotak hybrid nicely peppered)
• Neoregelia punctatissima x Tiger Cub
• Neoregelia Savoy Truffle (Vinzant hybrid)
• Neoregelia Scatterbrain
• Neoregelia Snake Charmer - two of 'em (Skotak hybrid)
• Neoregelia Tesla (fabulous large Vinzant hybrid)
• Neoregelia Voodini (Vinzant hybrid)
• Neoregelia Walking Tall x pauciflora
• Vriesea hieroglyphica x fosteriana select clone
• Vriesea lubbersii x Voodoo Magic purple-leaf (Wingert hybrid)
• Vriesea Memoria Howard x Yamamoto x Hanakua F2 (Shiigi hybrid)