In early 2007, northern New South Wales breeder Allan Ladd crossed Billbergia pyramidalis var. pyramidalis with reportedly Billbergia 'Windigig Special'. The resultant mixed seedling batch were attractive, some plain green, some pinkish but others with red leaf reverses and pale cross-banding. By 2009 Allan decided not to keep any of the progeny but selected 3 advanced seedlings each with a few thin pale vertical stripes, 1 each to go to 3 Aussie growers, including Ross Little at Pinegrove Nursery, Wardell, New South Wales. At this stage none of the grex had flowered nor been named.

Ross Little got the bulk of the progeny to grow on as stock plants in his nursery garden beds, although some were potted. The eventual blooming en masse showed clonal differences of red, pink and salmon-orange scape bracts, but strong uniform resemblance to the erect, torch-like B. pyramidalis inflorescence, typically short-lived (2-3 weeks) but eye-catching. Ross's pale-striped single specimen duly flowered, but the few random foliage lines had not improved with maturity, hence its nickname of "Faint Lines". However, the red leaf reverses with slight silver cross-banding and contrasting green obverses were evident, suggesting Billbergia euphemiae var. purpurea or a hybrid thereof was a more likely pollen parent, although the seed parent B. pyramidalis appeared very dominant.

By pure chance the first (and so far only) pup from this one parent plant "Faint Lines" turned out strong, wide, central creamy-yellow variegation and showed no sign of reverting or changing pattern as it matured and spiked with the characteristic scarlet torch and purple petals. The next generation of variegated offsets are showing the same stability in foliage markings. Average mature rosette size is 40cm diameter by 35cm high, spiking to 50cm tall. By April, 2011 Ross Little named and registered his clone Billbergia 'Allan Ladd' in honour of its breeder. Once in circulation this choice semi-hardy cultivar surely will rival in popularity such adaptable B. pyramidalis progeny as 'Kyoto', 'Foster's Striate' and similar variegates.