Cryptanthus leopoldo-horstii

Cryptanthus leopoldo-horstii  is not like most Cryptanthus. As you can see from the photo below, it likes to grow on the dry side. This photo is not my photo but one I found on the NET.

 

 

 

Cryptanthus leopoldo-horstii

 Photo credit: João de Deus Medeiros / Foter / CC BY
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cerrados/8013973954/sizes/l/in/photostream/

The next two plants below are my plants.


Cryptanthus leopoldo-horstii

 The plant above flowered this summer and so far has put out 5 offsets. I think they are still to small to take off.


Cryptanthus leopoldo-horstii wide leaf clone

This one did not flower as yet but is getting bigger.

 

Cryptanthus leopoldo-horstii

It looks like one of my Cryptanthus leopoldo-horstii is going to flower.

I had 4 but loss 2 this winter.

Maybe now I will get some offsts.

 

Cryptanthus leopoldo-horstii

Four different clones of Cryptanthus leopoldo-horstii , or should I say thats what the tags implies.

Cryptanthus leopoldo-horstii  (the standard form)

 

Cryptanthus leopoldo-horstii wide leaf clone (wide leaf form? so far it looks the same as the standard form)

 

Cryptanthus leopoldo-horstii green form (so far it doesn't look to green to me)

 

Cryptanthus leopoldo-horstii silver form (they all look silver to me)

One more Cryptanthus that should be grown as a Dyckia.

I picked these up last year as small offsets that were not fully rooted.

It seemed to me they were slow to grow in the heat of summer but when the temperature cooled down they did better and are now well rooted.

I don't know to much about them, as far as how big they will get or if they make lots of offset or just a few.

A photo of plant in it's habitat.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cerrados/8013973954/


The Cryptanthus leopoldo-horstii that I have are in the same pots and soil mix they came in. But when the time comes to repot them I'll use the same mix that all my dyckia's go in. One part peat and 3 parts perlite.  I also use it for  Cryptanthus warasii.

 

Cryptanthus leopoldo-horstii

In the pass year I have been looking for Cryptanthus leopoldo-horstii.

I've been fortunate, I not only been able to get 1 but 4 different clones.

It seems to be a very hard to come by plant. It's slow to grow and doesn't offset a lot, so far.

It's one of those Cryptanthus that need more of a dry condition to grow with full sun unlike most  Cryptanthus that would like it moist and in the shade .  I have been growing like a Dyckia.

The 4 different clones are:

 

Cryptanthus leopoldo-horstii

Cryptanthus leopoldo-horstii

 

Cryptanthus leopoldo-horstii green form looks a little bigger with the longer leafs.

I'm thinking it's just a little older.

Cryptanthus leopoldo-horstii green form

Cryptanthus leopoldo-horstii silver form

 Cryptanthus leopoldo-horstii wide leaf clone

Cryptanthus leopoldo-horstii wide leaf clone

 

If there was no tags on them I wouldn't know one from the other.  

 

I haven't had them that long to get any offsets yet.
 

Cryptanthus leopoldo-horstii

This is a up-date.

Way back in November 5, 2011 I got 2 very rare Cryptanthus Cryptanthus leopoldo-horstii
at the  Plant Auction at the 12th Annual International Cryptanthus Society Show

 Photo taken November 10, 2011 wide leaf clone

 Photo taken November 10, 2011

Photo taken June 29 2012

Now I know why this Cryptanthus is so rare. It's Very slow.

I was hoping for offsets by now. 

Maybe its slow because of the way I grow it. I don't want it to rot, so I careful with the water. Plus they were not very well rooted to start with. I do think they look better with more silver on them.

In the background is Cryptanthus warasii.