Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Grass
Tender Perennial
Origin
North America, South America, Europe, Southern Africa, Asia
North America, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean, Caribbean, Central America, South America
Types
Hulled Barley, Hulless Barley, Barley Grits
Cryptanthus 'Absolute Zero'
Cryptanthus 'Agate'
Cryptanthus 'Alberta'
Cryptanthus 'Alpine Frost'
Number of Varieties
8480
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Humid climates
Lowland evergreen rainforest, Rainforest, Shaded sites, Wild
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
-
Sunset Zone
-
-
Habit
-
-
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm20.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
15.00 cm15.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown, Gold
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green, Blue Green, Gray Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
-
-
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
-
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
-
Growth Rate
Fast
-
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
-
The pH of Soil
-
-
Soil Drainage
Well drained
-
Bloom Time
Spring, Summer
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Cuttings, Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires watering in the growing season
Average Water Needs, Do not water excessively, Keep the Soil well drained
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
-
-
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
-
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
-
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
-
Pruning
Do not prune during shooting season
Pinch or prune as they grow to promote branching and bushiness, Pinching, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Does not require fertilizer once established
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Pests and diseases free, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Variety of soil types
Flowers
-
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
-
-
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Fine
-
Foliage Sheen
Matte
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Ladybug beetles, Mealybugs, Scale Insects
Allergy
Abdominal pain, breathing problems, Eczema, Headache, Itchiness, Red eyes, Runny nose, Sinuses, sneezing, Sore eyes, Watery eyes, wheezing
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification, Borders, Decorating walls, Ground Cover
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Asthma, Bronchitis, Diabetes, Diarrhea
-
Part of Plant Used
Seeds
-
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used in making beverages
Used as Ornamental plant, useful as a ground cover
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Cutflower, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Edible, Wildflower
-
Botanical Name
HORDEUM vulgare
CRYPTANTHUS
Common Name
Barley
Cryptanthus, Earth Star
In Hindi
जौ
Earth Star
In German
Gerste
Erdstern
In French
orge
Terre étoile
In Spanish
cebada
estrella de la tierra
In Greek
κριθάρι
γη αστεριών
In Portuguese
cevada
Estrela da terra
In Polish
jęczmień
Gwiazda ziemi
In Latin
hordei
terra, stella
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Bromeliales
Family
Poaceae
Bromeliaceae
Genus
Hordeum
Cryptanthus
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Triticeae
-
Subfamily
Pooideae
Bromelioideae
Number of Species
650
1
27800
👆🏻