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Cryptanthus bivittatus

Cryptanthus bivittatus
Photo: Chhe (talk), Public domain

Cryptanthus bivittatus is a small, low-growing terrestrial bromeliad from Brazil, often called Earth star, grown for its striped leaf rosettes. It does best in bright, indirect light with moderate humidity and a well-drained, airy mix that is kept lightly moist.

Family
Bromeliaceae (Pineapple family)
Grows as
Perennial
Light
Bright indirect, Part shade
Water
Water when the top of the mix feels dry, keeping it lightly moist and avoiding waterlogging.
Soil
Well-drained, airy bromeliad or orchid mix with some peat or bark.
Temperature
18–29 °C; protect below 10 °C
How easy
Easy
Safety
Not known to be toxic
Native range
Brazil (Pernambuco)
Climate
wet tropical

About

Cryptanthus bivittatus, (commonly known as Earth star) is a small, terrestrial species of plant in the family Bromeliaceae. Reaching a height of only 6 - 8 inches and preferring moderate or diffuse light, it is commonly used in terrariums and novelty planters.

The cultivar 'Pink Starlite' has received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Other Cryptanthus plants

Cryptanthus zonatus · Vascular Plants

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Cryptanthus bivittatus by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

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