A medium to large growing plant with stiff, channeled leaves averaging 30 inches long and two inches wide with stout, black marginal spines. The leaves are medium green with a grayish scurf, heaviest on the undersides. They have a terminal spine and blush blackish-brown in strong light. It forms a funnel-form rosette to 4 feet across and at anthesis can reach over 3 feet tall.
The inflorescence is a branched panicle with a stiff scape of bright orange, orange branches with orange bracts, sometimes dusted with silver trichomes. The ovaries are blue-gray and the petals bright purplish blue. This plant was brought from Brazil in 1996 where it was reportedly collected by Pedro Nahoum and Chester Skotak. Although it keys closest to Portea petropolitana var. noettigii, it is not typical of that plant (per Harry Luther of the MFBIC) and may be a hybrid. It was named as a cultivar in honor of Helga Tarver, an avid amateur taxonomist in Clearwater, Florida.
Regular price
$45.00
Sale price
$20.00
Save $25.00
No reviews
A choice miniature from Mexico that grows in a full compact rosette to about 6 inches. The stiff leaves are very thick and succulent terminating in a sharp spine. With age the plant develops white filaments along the leaf margins, which grow fairly long and curl. This form has bold creamy white variegation along the margins. Cold hardy for gardens to freezing and just below. Small enough and slow enough for pot culture.
This is a good quality, versatile formula for epiphytic plants. This fertilizer does not use urea as a nitrogen source, as it is not usable by epiphytic plants. Water soluble, it can be used in daily irrigation or applied at intervals. Will not burn foliage at recommended rates and does not stain foliage. This is the fertilizer we use here at Tropiflora for our bromeliads, orchids and all epiphytic plants.
Application Rates: Constant Feed: A rate of 50 to 150 ppm of nitrogen is recommended. For bi-weekly applications: Use at the rate of 1½ to 2 tsp per gallon of water. Monthly: 1 to 1½ to tbs/gal.
THIS PLANT IS ON C.I.T.E.S. AND CANNOT BE EXPORTED
For lovers of weird, a nearly leafless, shrub-like member of the Didiereaceae that can reach nearly 10 feet tall but grows in a rather haphazard clump of tangled branches. The cylindrical stems are kind of olive green with silver tricomes and bears scattered conical spines which are stout but not ‘dangerous’.
Native to southern coastal Madagascar in the regions of the thorn forest from near sea level to almost 1,000 feet. A dioecious species that requires both sexes to set seed, but is easily propagated from cuttings. Reportedly slow growing but we do not find this to be especially true. Best grown in full sun to partial shade, well drained soils and moderate watering. Protect from freezing.
A native to Southern Madagascar. Alluaudia humbertii is a deciduous, succulent, small tree or large shrub native to semi-arid scrubland and thorn forests. Mature plants can reach 16-20 feet tall and equally as wide with a stout trunk and freely branched habit. The slender branches have thin, grey bark, range in form from procumbent to arched to upright, and are covered in spines reaching 0.75" long. Small, rounded, succulent leaves reaching 0.75" in diameter emerge from the branches during the rainy season and are dropped by the plant during the dry season.
{"id":1484330467443,"title":"Portea 'Helga Tarver'","handle":"portea-helga-tarver","description":"\u003cp\u003eA medium to large growing plant with stiff, channeled leaves averaging 30 inches long and two inches wide with stout, black marginal spines. The leaves are medium green with a grayish scurf, heaviest on the undersides. They have a terminal spine and blush blackish-brown in strong light. It forms a funnel-form rosette to 4 feet across and at anthesis can reach over 3 feet tall.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe inflorescence is a branched panicle with a stiff scape of bright orange, orange branches with orange bracts, sometimes dusted with silver trichomes. The ovaries are blue-gray and the petals bright purplish blue. This plant was brought from Brazil in 1996 where it was reportedly collected by Pedro Nahoum and Chester Skotak. Although it keys closest to \u003cem\u003ePortea petropolitana var. noettigii\u003c\/em\u003e, it is not typical of that plant (per Harry Luther of the MFBIC) and may be a hybrid. It was named as a cultivar in honor of Helga Tarver, an avid amateur taxonomist in Clearwater, Florida.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(255, 42, 0);\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e*Domestic shipping only!\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2021-05-01T10:50:21-04:00","created_at":"2018-08-19T18:37:06-04:00","vendor":"A31","type":"Portea","tags":["BRAZIL","bright filtered","BROMELIAD","PORTEA","vipp 11-13","vipp 4-16","VIPP 4-25-2022","VIPP 5-20-19","water 1-2"],"price":2000,"price_min":2000,"price_max":7500,"available":true,"price_varies":true,"compare_at_price":0,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":4500,"compare_at_price_varies":true,"variants":[{"id":14871023255667,"title":"Offset","option1":"Offset","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"6297","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":true,"featured_image":{"id":4753633771635,"product_id":1484330467443,"position":3,"created_at":"2018-08-19T18:37:06-04:00","updated_at":"2018-11-12T07:24:39-05:00","alt":"Portea 'Helga Tarver' - Tropiflora","width":730,"height":1000,"src":"\/\/tropiflora.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/6297-2-Portea-Helga-Tarver_jpg.jpg?v=1542025479","variant_ids":[14871023222899,14871023255667]},"available":false,"name":"Portea 'Helga Tarver' - Offset","public_title":"Offset","options":["Offset"],"price":2500,"weight":1588,"compare_at_price":4000,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"","featured_media":{"alt":"Portea 'Helga Tarver' - Tropiflora","id":1088498237555,"position":3,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.73,"height":1000,"width":730,"src":"\/\/tropiflora.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/6297-2-Portea-Helga-Tarver_jpg.jpg?v=1542025479"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[],"quantity_rule":{"min":1,"max":null,"increment":1}},{"id":39664115810419,"title":"6-inch Pot (*As-Is 3\/30\/26)","option1":"6-inch Pot (*As-Is 3\/30\/26)","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"6297","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":true,"featured_image":{"id":40128674070643,"product_id":1484330467443,"position":4,"created_at":"2026-03-26T11:08:07-04:00","updated_at":"2026-03-26T11:08:09-04:00","alt":null,"width":1576,"height":2100,"src":"\/\/tropiflora.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/B561A95E-5323-4D9C-9AF2-2A947BF7A657.jpg?v=1774537689","variant_ids":[39664115810419]},"available":true,"name":"Portea 'Helga Tarver' - 6-inch Pot (*As-Is 3\/30\/26)","public_title":"6-inch Pot (*As-Is 3\/30\/26)","options":["6-inch Pot (*As-Is 3\/30\/26)"],"price":2000,"weight":2268,"compare_at_price":4500,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":31079979221107,"position":4,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.75,"height":2100,"width":1576,"src":"\/\/tropiflora.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/B561A95E-5323-4D9C-9AF2-2A947BF7A657.jpg?v=1774537689"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[],"quantity_rule":{"min":1,"max":null,"increment":1}},{"id":14871023222899,"title":"10-inch Pot","option1":"10-inch Pot","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"6297","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":true,"featured_image":{"id":4753633771635,"product_id":1484330467443,"position":3,"created_at":"2018-08-19T18:37:06-04:00","updated_at":"2018-11-12T07:24:39-05:00","alt":"Portea 'Helga Tarver' - Tropiflora","width":730,"height":1000,"src":"\/\/tropiflora.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/6297-2-Portea-Helga-Tarver_jpg.jpg?v=1542025479","variant_ids":[14871023222899,14871023255667]},"available":false,"name":"Portea 'Helga Tarver' - 10-inch Pot","public_title":"10-inch Pot","options":["10-inch Pot"],"price":7500,"weight":0,"compare_at_price":0,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":null,"featured_media":{"alt":"Portea 'Helga Tarver' - Tropiflora","id":1088498237555,"position":3,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.73,"height":1000,"width":730,"src":"\/\/tropiflora.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/6297-2-Portea-Helga-Tarver_jpg.jpg?v=1542025479"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[],"quantity_rule":{"min":1,"max":null,"increment":1}},{"id":18642078498931,"title":"6-inch Pot (WHOLESALEX)","option1":"6-inch Pot (WHOLESALEX)","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"6297","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":true,"featured_image":null,"available":false,"name":"Portea 'Helga Tarver' - 6-inch Pot (WHOLESALEX)","public_title":"6-inch Pot (WHOLESALEX)","options":["6-inch Pot (WHOLESALEX)"],"price":5500,"weight":1134,"compare_at_price":0,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[],"quantity_rule":{"min":1,"max":null,"increment":1}}],"images":["\/\/tropiflora.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/6297-4-Portea-Helga-Tarver.jpg?v=1542025479","\/\/tropiflora.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/6297-Portea-Helga-Tarver.jpg?v=1542025479","\/\/tropiflora.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/6297-2-Portea-Helga-Tarver_jpg.jpg?v=1542025479","\/\/tropiflora.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/B561A95E-5323-4D9C-9AF2-2A947BF7A657.jpg?v=1774537689"],"featured_image":"\/\/tropiflora.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/6297-4-Portea-Helga-Tarver.jpg?v=1542025479","options":["Size"],"media":[{"alt":"Portea 'Helga Tarver' - Tropiflora","id":1088498172019,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.684,"height":1000,"width":684,"src":"\/\/tropiflora.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/6297-4-Portea-Helga-Tarver.jpg?v=1542025479"},"aspect_ratio":0.684,"height":1000,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/tropiflora.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/6297-4-Portea-Helga-Tarver.jpg?v=1542025479","width":684},{"alt":"Portea 'Helga Tarver' - Tropiflora","id":1088498204787,"position":2,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.807,"height":1000,"width":807,"src":"\/\/tropiflora.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/6297-Portea-Helga-Tarver.jpg?v=1542025479"},"aspect_ratio":0.807,"height":1000,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/tropiflora.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/6297-Portea-Helga-Tarver.jpg?v=1542025479","width":807},{"alt":"Portea 'Helga Tarver' - Tropiflora","id":1088498237555,"position":3,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.73,"height":1000,"width":730,"src":"\/\/tropiflora.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/6297-2-Portea-Helga-Tarver_jpg.jpg?v=1542025479"},"aspect_ratio":0.73,"height":1000,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/tropiflora.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/6297-2-Portea-Helga-Tarver_jpg.jpg?v=1542025479","width":730},{"alt":null,"id":31079979221107,"position":4,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.75,"height":2100,"width":1576,"src":"\/\/tropiflora.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/B561A95E-5323-4D9C-9AF2-2A947BF7A657.jpg?v=1774537689"},"aspect_ratio":0.75,"height":2100,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/tropiflora.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/B561A95E-5323-4D9C-9AF2-2A947BF7A657.jpg?v=1774537689","width":1576}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003eA medium to large growing plant with stiff, channeled leaves averaging 30 inches long and two inches wide with stout, black marginal spines. The leaves are medium green with a grayish scurf, heaviest on the undersides. They have a terminal spine and blush blackish-brown in strong light. It forms a funnel-form rosette to 4 feet across and at anthesis can reach over 3 feet tall.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe inflorescence is a branched panicle with a stiff scape of bright orange, orange branches with orange bracts, sometimes dusted with silver trichomes. The ovaries are blue-gray and the petals bright purplish blue. This plant was brought from Brazil in 1996 where it was reportedly collected by Pedro Nahoum and Chester Skotak. Although it keys closest to \u003cem\u003ePortea petropolitana var. noettigii\u003c\/em\u003e, it is not typical of that plant (per Harry Luther of the MFBIC) and may be a hybrid. It was named as a cultivar in honor of Helga Tarver, an avid amateur taxonomist in Clearwater, Florida.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(255, 42, 0);\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e*Domestic shipping only!\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e"}