Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Tree
Origin
North America, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean, Caribbean, Central America, South America
North America, United States, Northeastern United States, Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, North-Central United States, Central United States, South-Central United States, Texas, Canada
Types
Cryptanthus 'Absolute Zero'
Cryptanthus 'Agate'
Cryptanthus 'Alberta'
Cryptanthus 'Alpine Frost'
Ash leaves maple, Acer negundo califormicum tehachapi, Acer negundo Flamingo
Number of Varieties
4803
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Lowland evergreen rainforest, Rainforest, Shaded sites, Wild
Anthropogenic, Floodplains, Forests, Shores of rivers or lakes, Terrestrial
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99992-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
8-3
Sunset Zone
-
A2, A3, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
-
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
20.00 cm2,438.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
15.00 cm1,524.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Red, Yellow green, Dark Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green, Tan
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
-
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
-
Yellow, Yellow green, Brown
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Linear
Broadly Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
-
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
-
Fast
Type of Soil
-
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
-
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
-
Average
Bloom Time
-
Early Spring, Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Wet Site, Pollution, Drought, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Rooted stem cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do not water excessively, Keep the Soil well drained
Average Water Needs, Needs watering once a week
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
-
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
-
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
-
Average
Sun Exposure
-
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Pinch or prune as they grow to promote branching and bushiness, Pinching, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune every year, Prune in early spring, Prune in late winter, Remove branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
Does not require fertilizer once established
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Pests and diseases free, Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Variety of soil types
Drought, Pollution, Soil Compaction, Wet Site
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Single
-
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
-
Medium
Foliage Sheen
-
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ladybug beetles, Mealybugs, Scale Insects
Aphids, Birds, Squirrels
Allergy
-
Asthma, Runny nose, Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Borders, Decorating walls, Ground Cover
Bonsai
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Shadow Tree, Wildlife
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Antidote, Antiemetic
Part of Plant Used
-
Flowers, Fruits, Leaves, Seeds
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant, useful as a ground cover
Can be made into a herbal tea, Decoration Purposes, Edible syrup, Used as essential oil, Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Wood log is used in making fences
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
-
Screening / Wind Break
Botanical Name
CRYPTANTHUS
ACER negundo
Common Name
Cryptanthus, Earth Star
Ash-Leaved Maple, Boxelder
In Hindi
Earth Star
Boxelder tree
In German
Erdstern
Boxelder Baum
In French
Terre étoile
arbre boxelder
In Spanish
estrella de la tierra
árbol boxelder
In Greek
γη αστεριών
κουφοξυλιά δέντρο
In Portuguese
Estrela da terra
árvore Boxelder
In Polish
Gwiazda ziemi
Boxelder drzewo
In Latin
terra, stella
Boxelder ligno
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Bromeliales
Sapindales
Family
Bromeliaceae
Aceraceae
Genus
Cryptanthus
Acer
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Bromelioideae
-
Number of Species
5015
1
27800
👆🏻