How to prune cryptanthus acaulis

Any time for dead-leaf removal; post-bloom for pup division. Peel or cut away dead outer leaves close to the base. Once the mother rosette browns and dies after flowering, use a clean knife to sever well-rooted offsets and move them to their own shallow containers in a gritty, free-draining mix.

Rarely — cosmetic cleanup only, plus one post-bloom division cycle. Cryptanthus acaulis (green earth star) is a compact terrestrial bromeliad needing minimal pruning. Simply remove browning outer leaves at the base as they die back. After the plant flowers, the rosette declines — let the offsets grow to 5–8 cm, then pot them up individually.

Peel or cut away dead outer leaves close to the base. Once the mother rosette browns and dies after flowering, use a clean knife to sever well-rooted offsets and move them to their own shallow containers in a gritty, free-draining mix.