Thanks, Lin. I'm the same way. It's very hard for me to distinguish between similar red and pink bromeliads. Maybe I'll just put mine in a parent plant entry.

Karen, I can't find any record of a registered 'Ruby Red' cultivar. I think it's likely that the nursery added the "red" just as a description of the color.

'Ruby' is a recognized cultivar. Here's a list of Cryptanthus cultivars:

http://www.fcbs.org/pictures/C...

Ok, Zuzu, thank you. I guess I should just add it to the ruby entry.

My Neo 'Ardie' ( a natural sport of Neo 'Martin') pup from early this year is now showing some color stripes. The center will turn red with age.

That's a nice one, Scott! I'm thinking I need more bromeliads.

This link is a very good explanation of C. Bivittatus, I'm pretty sure the pretty colored unknown Crypt I posted a week ago is C. Bivittatus. Mine is already taking on more of a ruby coloring in the center now, it could turn out to be "Ruby". Tags are misleading, I have one I'm sure is "Pink Starlight" but it was tagged "Red Star", I've had it almost two years and it is clearly not "Red Star". At the bottom it explains the difference of some of the more popular C. Bivittatus and helped me with ID-ing mine.


http://www.jaycjayc.com/crypta...

Good link, thanks, Sherri!

Scott, that Neoregelia is really gorgeous! We don't have photos of either in our database yet, you should add a few photos!
Bromeliad (Neoregelia 'Ardie')
Neoregelia 'Martin'

Lin, I added "Ardie' to the database.

It sure is a pretty Brom!

I purchased these two at the same time, one as Red Star and one as Pink Star. They looked different at the time but they look alike now.
The Pink Star is to the left of what was purchased for a Red Star.

I agree Scot, yours do seem to be the same. Although mine has never been as light as yours, but has always kept the pink outer edge.
I'll attach some photos of mine, tagged "Red Star"

Date purchased was in mid September, from Walmart.


April mid Spring after winter, the lightest the color has ever been, kept on porch in coldest part of winter, no sun.


Just a month later after being outside and getting morning/evening sun, shaded during day, starting to color back up. Looks much like it did when I first bought it.


This is the darkest it seems to get, but still pink. This was taken a couple weeks ago.

Sherri, It may have been to much sun on them as they receive full summer sun from about 2 pm on.
Here is a table top centerpiece on my covered lanai that receives no direct sun.

These four were purchased without names.

Cryptanthus 'Thriller'

I have a question .....

What do you do with them in the Winter?

I like the centerpiece Scot, nice idea. The thriller looks much like my Black Mystic, another great clearance find last year.

Becky, I have a huge Florida room with screens and windows on three sides, so in the winter I move really cold sensitive plants in there, the windows remain open most the time but if we dip too low I close them, I even have heaters in there if needed. They usually only reside in the FL room for around two months.

Black Mystic


Elaine (new last month)

Are the cryptanthus more cold-sensitive than other broms? I don't have any of them but all my other broms are out in the garden, and I've never covered any of them in cold weather.

Elaine, I grow them outside under canopy here north of Tampa with lows dropping in the upper 20s every few years have done no harm.

Sherri, The C. 'Thriller' has a brown coloring as leaves mature.