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Quick Guide
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Star-shaped rosette foliage
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Striking stripes and colours
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Compact and low-growing
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Easy to care for indoors
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Ideal for terrariums or shelves
Cryptanthus, commonly known as the Earth Star, is a striking indoor foliage plant belonging to the bromeliad family. Its name reflects its rosette of star-shaped leaves, banded in silver, bronze, or pink, which bring a bold accent to your interior décor. Compact and low-growing, it is perfect for smaller spaces such as shelves, desks, or windowsills, and is especially eye-catching when grouped with other houseplants in a collection or terrarium.
Unlike many bromeliads, Cryptanthus grows in soil, making it a straightforward houseplant to maintain. Though it occasionally produces small, starry white flowers, its unique patterned leaves are the main attraction. The plant remains modest in size, typically reaching up to 20 cm in height with a spread of around 30 cm. No heavy pruning is required, but you can gently remove older leaves as they age.
This is a foliage plant rather than a flowering display plant, but its architectural form and vibrant leaf patterns create instant visual impact. While it does not have proven air purification benefits like some larger indoor plants, its aesthetic appeal makes it a natural fit for a bright living room, office, or conservatory. Pair it with ferns, Fittonia, or Peperomia for a lush, textural contrast.
Plant Care Guide
Cryptanthus is a low-maintenance indoor plant but thrives with consistent care. Place in bright, indirect light to bring out its best colours. Keep the soil evenly moist, watering little and often, and mist occasionally to maintain humidity. Use a free-draining houseplant compost and feed monthly with a diluted liquid fertiliser in spring and summer. Avoid placing it in draughts or near radiators, as it prefers warm, stable conditions above 15°C. Watch for common houseplant pests like mealybugs or scale, and wipe leaves gently with a soft cloth. For a contemporary look, style in an Elho pot cover, or choose a ceramic or natural basket pot to highlight its tropical flair.
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EAN code038798
- Soil MoistureMoist but not waterlogged
- Ultimate Height20-25cm
- Ultimate Spread30-35cm
- Flower ColourWhite
- Foliage ColourGreen
- Care GuideEasy
- Growth RateSlow
- Pet FriendlyNo
- Child FriendlyNo
- Foliage TypeEvergreen
- Light ConditionsBright Indirect Light
- HumidityHigh 60-80%, Moderate 40-60%
- Soil TypeFree draining houseplant compost
- Soil PHNeutral
Delivery Areas
We deliver within the M25 area of London. For deliveries of Pots & Planters outside this zone, we may be able to help on a case-by-case basis — please contact our sales team at [email protected]. You are also welcome to visit our garden centre in Kentish Town, where our team will be happy to help in person.
Delivery Costs & Delivery Day
Delivery charges are based on postcode zone within the M25. Enter your postcode at the top of this page to see your zone and cost, or check at checkout. You can also select your preferred delivery day at checkout.
Delivery Timeframes
We aim to deliver orders within 2–4 working days. During peak seasons, such as Christmas, delivery times may vary slightly due to increased demand. We will keep you informed at every stage.
Third-Party Couriers
For London postcodes outside a 5-mile radius of our Kentish Town garden centre, we may occasionally use a third-party courier for delivery. In these cases, we try our best to still deliver the items in the requested delivery time slot but please be aware that occasionally this may not always be possible and is out of our control.
Click & Collect
We encourage you to collect from our garden centre in Kentish Town — it saves on delivery costs and gives you the chance to see our full range of plants and products in person.
All Click & Collect orders must be collected within 7 days of being ready, unless a later date has been arranged with us in advance. If an order is not collected within this time, it will be cancelled and a refund issued.
Returns Policy
If you need to return an item, please contact us within 14 days of receipt to arrange a return or exchange. Products must be in their original condition and packaging. Plants may be non-refundable unless they arrive damaged or defective.
Items bought in-store or collected can be returned directly at the garden centre. If you would like us to collect a return and it is in good condition (e.g. you have changed your mind), it must be in its original condition, and the same delivery cost will apply for the return.
Plants marked as reduced for end-of-season clearance are non-refundable, as they are sold specifically to clear stock. This does not apply to special offers or multibuy promotions, which are eligible for returns as per our standard terms.
Questions about delivery or returns? Email [email protected] or call +44 (0) 20 7284 4999.
| Located in Kentish Town, London, Boma garden centre is proud of its vision to transform the city into an urban paradise. The garden centre has created a plant lover's paradise, a place where you can relax, unwind and de-stress among the foliage and flowers. The Webshop makes it easier to order online if you can't get to the garden centre, with nationwide delivery. But we encourage plant lovers to pop in for a visit and chat with the team. |
Creating an urban paradise
Our dream is to transform urban living into a plant lovers' paradise. Making our neighbourhoods a wonderful place is good for our wellbeing and more friendly to the environment. A shared vision that gets us out of bed in the morning.
We've curated a botanical sanctuary
Our team of horticulturists planned our garden centre to show plants in their natural habitat, with inspirational displays. Looking for plants is like taking a walk in a botanical sanctuary.
And for those that consider our canine friends an essential part of life, bring your best mate along. Hopefully, they'll get along with our house cat Blue Bell.
It so happens we stock some fabulous plants
Our garden centre specialises in rare specimen plants beyond the common garden varieties. We also stock everything you need to cultivate your dream garden, home and office, with the largest range of plants, pots and containers in North London. Apparently, visitors consider us The gardener's garden centre.
Recommended by Customers
Buy Cryptanthus bivittatus – Earth Star (Pot Size 9cm) Bromeliad at The Boma Garden Centre in Kentish Town, London. Visit our garden centre in London and check our wide range of plants & gardening products. We also offer many other products in our webshop. We look forward to seeing you soon!