Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Tender Perennial
Origin
North America, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean, Caribbean, Central America, South America
World/Pandemic
Types
Cryptanthus 'Absolute Zero'
Cryptanthus 'Agate'
Cryptanthus 'Alberta'
Cryptanthus 'Alpine Frost'
242
Number of Varieties
480200
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Lowland evergreen rainforest, Rainforest, Shaded sites, Wild
Rocky areas, Sandy areas, Swamps, Terrestrial, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
-999911-14
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
12-7
Sunset Zone
-
H2
Habit
-
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
20.00 cm40.60 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
15.00 cm45.70 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Light Pink, Rose, Dark Salmon, Bronze, Tan, Sandy Brown, Sienna, Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
-
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
-
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Linear
Long Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
-
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
-
Slow
Type of Soil
-
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
-
Acidic
Soil Drainage
-
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Cold climate, Full Sun, Salt
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Divison, Stem Planting, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do not water excessively, Keep the Soil well drained
Do Not over Water, Never Over-water, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Ample Water
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
-
Acidic
Soil Type
-
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
-
Well drained
Sun Exposure
-
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
Cut or pinch the stems, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Does not require fertilizer once established
fertilize in growing season, Phosphate, Requires high amount of nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Pests and diseases free, Red blotch
Bacterial soft rot, Brown Rot, Mealybugs, Spider mites
Plant Tolerance
Variety of soil types
Cold climate, Full Sun, Salt
Flowers
Showy
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
-
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
-
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ladybug beetles, Mealybugs, Scale Insects
Insects, Mealybugs
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Borders, Decorating walls, Ground Cover
Beautification, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Food for insects, Indoor Air Purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
-
Flowers
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant, useful as a ground cover
Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
-
Container, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
CRYPTANTHUS
ENCYCLIA hanburyi
Common Name
Cryptanthus, Earth Star
Encyclia, Orchid
In Hindi
Earth Star
आर्किड
In German
Erdstern
Orchidee
In French
Terre étoile
Orchidée
In Spanish
estrella de la tierra
Orquídea
In Greek
γη αστεριών
εγκύκλιο
In Portuguese
Estrela da terra
orquídea
In Polish
Gwiazda ziemi
orquídea
In Latin
terra, stella
Epidendrum
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Bromeliales
Asparagales
Family
Bromeliaceae
Orchidaceae
Genus
Cryptanthus
Encyclia
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
-
Epidendreae
Subfamily
Bromelioideae
Epidendroideae
Number of Species
50242
1
27800
👆🏻