Cryptanthus bivittatus

Plant Name: Cryptanthus bivittatus

Tankquility Catalogue #: TQ-03101

Synonyms/Trade Names:

Original Plant Sourced as: Cryptanthus bivittatus

Plant Family: Bromeliaceae

Plant Native to¹: Brazil Northeast

Plant Type: Terrestrial

Image Details²:

Image 1: Shadehouse grown Cryptanthus bivittatus displaying copper-red colouration in the warmer months.

Image 2: Shadehouse grown Cryptanthus bivittatus starting to colour-up. The older leaves in the rosette still display the green colouration seen in the cooler months.

Image 3: Offsets forming on a mature plant.

General Information and Cultivation³: A small-size Cryptanthus, easy to cultivate in a terrarium. Growth habit is a compact rosette, though leaves will continue to grow in length if a senescent, post-reproductive plant is not replaced with an offset. Plants attain maturity and begin to produce offsets at around 100mm in diameter. Cryptanthus bivittatus prefers warm, humid conditions; higher temperatures and bright lighting will encourage the best colouration in plants. Bright lighting will help to maintain compactness. As for other Cryptanthus, only modest ventilation is necessary. Tankquility cultures this clone in a constantly moist, free draining, peat-based substrate. Fertilize moderately.

Propagation is easy by division and replanting of offsets from the mother plant.

Ease of Care: Easy

Plant Size/Portion Size:

Offset: Shadehouse grown offset with or without root development.

Further Reading:

¹ Distribution is taken from Plants of the World Online (https://powo.science.kew.org/) unless stated otherwise.

² All images used on the Tankquility website have been taken of plants growing in our nursery.

³ The general and cultural information provided is based on our own experience and observation. If we supply information from others, we have acknowledged the source.