An interesting little shrub-like, caudiciform tree from Oaxaca, Mexico with a thickly swollen trunk and tan to reddish peeling bark. The dense branches have small obovate, deciduous leaves and bear tiny, aromatic fruits. Great for bonsai work. The leaves may turn bright colors if exposed to cool temps in the fall of the year.

Check out our glossy ceramic pumpkin planter in cinnamon-orange, perfect for your favorite small tillandsia! Planter measure 4" W x 3" H and includes a drain hole. 

Check out our glossy white ceramic pumpkin planter, perfect for your favorite small tillandsia! Planter measure 4" W x 3" H and includes a drain hole. 

Our virgin cork slabs are flat and vary in size from about 6 inches to over 12 inches wide and 12 to 30 inches long. Thickness varies from about a half inch to two inches with the majority being in between those numbers.

To get an idea of size to weight, you can figure roughly a square foot per pound, rarely under that, usually over. This material is widely touted to be the best and most durable substrate for mounting epiphytic plants; resisting rot and pests and lasting for many years under greenhouse conditions. The upper surface is rough and craggy and the underside, harder and fairly smooth. Great for use in terrariums or cages as it is non-toxic, and useful as a decorative background to display jewelry or other objects.

This product is harvested sustainably in Portugal from Quercus suber, the cork oak, and it’s main use is for bottle stoppers and shoe soles. This is a completely natural product. Easily broken into any size needed and can be ‘drilled’ with an awl or ice pick.

 Quantity is sold by the pound.

Jim Irvin has a knack with Cryptanthus, (as well as other bromeliads!), and has produced numerous first-class hybrids.  This is one of which he can be proud.  This hybrid, a cultivar of ‘Sweet Tooth’ x ‘Ice Age,’ and a grex mate to ‘Very Cold Tooth,’ is a dark brown, almost black plant with closely spaced cross banding of silver trichomes with dense silver white scurf underneath.  The inch-wide leaves are long and graceful, undulating at the margins in a symmetrical rosette.

*VIPP plants are Offsets

This Carole Richtmyer hybrid, a cultivar of Cryptanthus ‘Rita Padden’ x argyrophyllus, has 10+ ovate leaves forming a medium plant to 12″ in diameter with a full round form.  The dull green copper brown leaves are full and very wide with fine lineated scurf on the undersides.

***For best results, we recommend growing this particular cultivar in a dirty Turface® mix, equal parts peat based potting mix and Turface® All Sport.  Fill the bottom of your pot with a shallow layer of potting mix, this prevents the Turface® mix from running out the bottom of your pot, and the remainder with the dirty Turface® mix.

A cultivar of Cryptanthus zonatus f. fuscus x ‘Black Mystic’ created by Sandy Antle.  This plant is large with an open oval shape with 14+ succulent lanceolate leaves and very pronounced dense serration.  The dark brown to black broad leaves have silvery-white cross banding blending toward the plant center.  It was awarded Best Single Cryptanthus at the 1990 WBC in Houston, Texas and also the same again at the 1991 Third ICS in Lafayette, Louisiana.

A hybrid cultivar of Cryptanthus ‘Hapa Haole’ x ‘Elaine’ by Australian, David Cross.  A full rosette of leaves to about 18 inches across.  The leaves are banded with silver over a background color of dark brown to reddish-brown, with slightly wavy margins.

*VIPP plants are Offsets, AS IS

A Jim Irvin hybrid named for a longtime active bromeliad enthusiast of the Caloosahatchee Bromeliad Society of Fort Myers, Florida, a cultivar of ‘Icecile’ x ‘Black Mystic,’ has 14+ lanceolate leaves forming a medium-large plant 20″ in diameter with a strong oval form, deep forest green in color with banding the entire length and edge to edge with narrow silver bands set widely apart.  The undersides have heavy silver scurf.

The hybridizer and parents of this cultivar is not known.  Having 10+ lanceolate leaves forming a medium plant to 18″ in diameter with an open round shape.  Chocolate-brown in color with regular silver-white barring from center to tip that extend from edge to edge with strongly serrated undulating leaf edges.  The undersides of the leaves have medium dense white scurf.

*VIPP plants are Offsets

An Ed Edmiston hybrid a cultivar of 'Rumpelstiltskin' x 'Strawberries Flambe' that matures to an open, round rosette up to 18 inches in diameter.  The glossy chocolate-brown leaves are underlaid with green and scant silver scurf restricted to the leaf axils and tips.  The leaf tips twist exposing the dense silver white scurf underneath.

*VIPP plants are Offsets

This possible J. D. Garretson hybrid is a cultivar of an unknown bivitattus cross having 15+ lanceolate leaves forming a small plant 6″ to 8" in diameter with a full round rosette shape.  The spiny, wavy margined brown-green leaves are striped with shades of brown and cream.  The undersides of the leaves have light dusting of white scurf.

*VIPP plants are Offsets