Cryptanthus bivittatus 'Pink Star' close-up of leaf on white background.

Bromeliaceae

Cryptanthus bivittatus ‘Pink Star’

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Broad pink edges surround the dark green leaf centres of Cryptanthus bivittatus ‘Pink Star’, a compact plant with a low, flat rosette. The established plant also develops offsets—young plants growing around it.

Read full guide to Cryptanthus bivittatus ‘Pink Star’

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Plant size: Pot Ø 6 cmapprox. 10 cm tall

Sizes are approximate. Height is measured from the bottom of the pot to the top of the plant; diameter at the widest point.

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Care at a glance

Cryptanthus bivittatus ‘Pink Star’

Light

Bright indirect • approx. 10,000–20,000 lux

Watering

Water when ~40–60% dry

Substrate

Fine but airy • Moisture-buffered • Balanced • Fine

Temperature

Ideal: 18–28 °C • Avoid below: 15 °C

Humidity

High 60–80% +

Growth habit

Rosette-forming terrestrial bromeliad.

Support

not needed

Growth speed

Slow

Cultivated size guide

Height: 20 cm • Spread: 30 cm

Toxicity & safety

Non-toxic

Origin & habitat

Cultivar of Cryptanthus bivittatus; species native to Brazil (Pernambuco)

Outdoor growing

Outside from 15 °C · sheltered spot

How to read these values

These care values give practical guidance for growing the plant. Adjust care for pot size, substrate, temperature and how quickly the substrate dries.

For more detail, read the full product description or visit our Plant Care Guides.

Light: level and approximate lux at leaf level.
Watering: “% dry” shows how far the substrate should dry before watering again.
Substrate: structure, drainage, moisture retention, base material and particle size.
Temperature: “Ideal” shows the preferred range; “Avoid below” marks the cold-stress threshold.
Humidity: target range; steady conditions usually matter more than exact numbers.

Growth habit: how the plant grows, such as upright, climbing, trailing, clumping or rosette-forming.
Support: whether a stake, pole or trellis is needed, optional or unnecessary.
Growth speed: expected pace under suitable growing conditions; use as a guide, not a promise.

Cultivated size guide: approximate dimensions for an established plant in the stated growing context. Height is measured upwards from the growing surface; foliage height excludes flower stems. Trailing length follows a stem, while foliage drop is the vertical distance from the crown to the lowest leaf tips. Spread is the width of the leafy plant or crown, not an individual leaf. Flowering height includes the flower stems. A container guide applies to pot-grown plants; an in-ground guide applies to plants rooted in the ground. Size also depends on age, conditions, pot space and training.

These figures do not describe the size supplied and are not fixed upper limits.

Toxicity & safety: irritation, toxicity or physical hazards such as spines or bristles.
Origin & habitat: native range, hybrid background or typical habitat where relevant.
Outdoor growing: when a potted indoor plant can be placed outside and what outdoor protection it needs.

Cryptanthus bivittatus ‘Pink Star’

Stiff leaves spread outwards close to the ground, forming a compact, flat rosette. Their dark green centres are bordered by broad pink margins, and the leaf edges are slightly wavy. Small white flowers can appear in the middle of this low rosette.

The established plant also develops offsets—young plants growing around it. Each rosette blooms once before gradually declining, and its offsets continue growing.

Features of Cryptanthus bivittatus ‘Pink Star’

Broad pink leaf margins around dark green centres.
Compact, low, flat rosette.
Stiff leaves with slightly wavy edges.

Origin & background

Origin of Cryptanthus bivittatus ‘Pink Star’

Cryptanthus bivittatus ‘Pink Star’ is a horticultural selection of Cryptanthus bivittatus, a species native to Brazil.

Plant care

Cryptanthus bivittatus ‘Pink Star’: a care guide

Place Cryptanthus bivittatus ‘Pink Star’ in bright indirect or filtered light. The broad pink margins can fade when the position is too dim, and strong midday sun can damage the leaves.

Keep temperatures around 18–28 °C and avoid prolonged temperatures below 15 °C. Maintain roughly 60–80% humidity with light circulation through the foliage. Keep the plant away from cold draughts and direct heat. A bright bathroom can provide useful humidity when it also has enough light.

Use an organic potting mix that retains some moisture and drains freely; fine bark with peat-free multipurpose compost is suitable. Check the surface before watering. Once it feels dry to the touch, water while moisture still remains deeper in the pot, then let the excess drain completely and empty any water below the pot. Keep water from sitting in the centre of the flat rosette. If growth slows, the mix will take longer to reach this point.

Feed sparingly during active growth with a balanced liquid feed at half strength about monthly. Stop feeding when growth stops.

Offset growth: attached offsets can remain with the parent and form a cluster. Move the cluster into a slightly larger pot at the same depth once the rosettes crowd the container.

For a separate plant, wait until an offset reaches roughly one-third of the parent rosette’s size and releases easily with a small twist and gentle tug. Use a small pot with drainage holes and freely draining mix.

Put a rooted offset into freely draining mix with its roots intact.
Set a rootless one into a shallow depression and firm the mix around its short stem.

Keep the lowest leaf base above the mix, stake an unstable offset, and keep it warm in bright indirect light while it establishes. During establishment, water when the surface feels dry while moisture remains deeper in the mix.

Issues & solutions

Troubleshooting Cryptanthus bivittatus ‘Pink Star’

The pink margins lose colour, or exposed areas bleach and brown: Move a plant with fading margins into brighter indirect light. When bleaching or browning follows strong sun, protect the rosette from direct exposure and use filtered light.
Brown tips or a wilted rosette: Check moisture deeper in the root ball. Rewet dry mix and drain. If decline continues in wet mix, examine roots and keep every firm rooted offset and living growth point intact, removing only confirmed mushy decay. Dry heater air can also brown the tips.
White cottony material appears between the leaf bases: Inspect the rosette and leaf undersides for mealybugs and isolate the plant while you confirm the problem. Remove visible insects by hand if only a small number are present. For further treatment, use a product labelled for mealybugs on indoor plants, test a small area first and wait at least 48 hours for signs of leaf damage. Follow all label directions, including repeat treatments, and keep the plant isolated until the infestation is controlled.

Safety

Cryptanthus bivittatus ‘Pink Star’ is non-toxic to cats and dogs

This plant is non-toxic to cats and dogs.
Its effects on people are unclear, so keep it away from young children who may chew it.
Eating a large amount can still cause an upset stomach. Seek medical or veterinary advice if symptoms continue.

Names & etymology

Cryptanthus bivittatus: name and meaning

Cryptanthus combines Greek kryptos, meaning hidden, with anthos, meaning flower. Bivittatus means two-banded or two-striped, from the Latin bi, two, and vitta, band.

Christoph Friedrich Otto and Albert Gottfried Dietrich established the genus Cryptanthus in 1836 in Allgemeine Gartenzeitung, volume 4, page 298.

William Jackson Hooker first described it as Billbergia bivittata in 1861 in Botanical Magazine, volume 87, plate 5270. Eduard August von Regel later placed it in Cryptanthus as Cryptanthus bivittatus in 1865 in Index Seminum (LE, Petropolitanus), volume 1864, issue supplement, page 15.

Plant names, growth habits, natural habitats and indoor care guidance are checked against trusted botanical, habitat and horticultural references before publication.View our plant care resources and references.