I live a zone colder than you and have Neoregelias, Billbergias, Aechmeas, Puyas, Portea, Nidulariums. Bromelia balansae, and Pitcairneas outside. I do protect them by covering if there's a frost but otherwise they do very well.

Central CA? SLO or Santa Barbara area? More northern? You should have no problems with the myriad of species of Billbergia, many Aechmeas and so on. Bihai's list is pretty all-inclusive in the genera that will grow for you. Depends on your rainfall amounts.

I'm in the foothills of Arroyo Grande, just south of San Luis Obispo. It gets hot here in the summer and we're just far enough in from the coast for it to be dry. We live in an live oak forest so we do have nice dappled shade. Thanks for the input.

I believe most Dyckias would do fine. The real question is what will not survive; I would not try the Vriesea fenestralis or Vr. heiroglyphica; I understand that Aechmea chantinii also is very cold sensitive.

You might want to try looking for an article at the FCBS website - it lists the cold hardiness of a large number of species and hybrids.

Here is a link that might be useful: FCBS

You really have quite a few options given your dappled shade and cover of live oaks. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and probably grow over a 100 different species of bromeliads outdoors. I have alot of Aechmeas, the species gamosepala, kertesziae, caudata, ornata var nationalis, pineliana, nudicaulis, bromeliifolia, distichantha are all very reliable ones for me outdoors. I probably have 10 or so species and hybrids of Billbergia, B. sanderiana is a particular favorite, as is the orange spiked B. 'Diane'. I do have alot of Neoregelia hybrids and species as well, but many of these need more babying through the winter to do well for me outdoors, or to be kept dryer through the coldest months to avoid rotting. I also do well with about 10 or 20 different Vreisea bromeliads, and V. bituminosa is one of my favorites, and V. imperialis or now renamed Alcantera does well for me in bright shade and high humidity. I find many of my Vreiseas prefer to be elevated in winter so they don't stay so wet, and there is less chance of rotting them out. Puyas and Dyckias are also quite easy, but usually demand full sun for best growth. I love the blooms on Portea petropoliteana, but have found that this one does better at blooming reliably where it gets more year round heat than we do here in Berkeley. I have only had one plant out of dozens bloom from a pup for me, the rest have all been bought in bud from Los Angeles,(they do last almost a year in bloom).

This is just the tip of the iceberg of possibilities, the BSI web site does also have a pretty good list of colder hardier bromeliads to grow outdorrs, but hot summer climates and cool California coastal climates do not always suit the same plants. We do much better here with many tillandsias and other high elevation cloudforest species that prefer a distinct cooling off at night to grow and bloom well, which is something that Florida, Texas and Louisiana don't get for months on end.

I grow all of my bromeliads outdoor in Malaysia. Here is the link to my broms.

http://community.webshots.com/user/HanChong

Some of the large gray-leafed Tillandsias do very well outside even where temps can get chilly. You'd want the 'fascicularia' forms such as the ones below.
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