Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Tender Perennial
Origin
Southeastern Asia, Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia
North America, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean, Caribbean, Central America, South America
Types
-
Cryptanthus 'Absolute Zero'
Cryptanthus 'Agate'
Cryptanthus 'Alberta'
Cryptanthus 'Alpine Frost'
Number of Varieties
3480
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Woodlands
Lowland evergreen rainforest, Rainforest, Shaded sites, Wild
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-12-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
-
Sunset Zone
H2, 23, 24
-
Habit
Oval or Rounded
-
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,370.00 cm20.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
1,520.00 cm15.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Light Green, Gray Green
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green, Gray
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Gray Green, Gray
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray Green
-
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Maple shaped
Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
-
Growth Rate
Very Fast
-
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
-
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
-
Soil Drainage
Well drained
-
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Cuttings, Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Water daily during growing season
Average Water Needs, Do not water excessively, Keep the Soil well drained
In Summer
Moderate
Lots of watering
In Spring
Less Watering
Moderate
In Winter
Less Watering
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
-
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
-
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
-
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
-
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
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
Aphids, Insects
Pests and diseases free, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Variety of soil types
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
Medium
-
Foliage Sheen
Matte
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies
Ladybug beetles, Mealybugs, Scale Insects
Allergy
Nausea, Vomiting
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Cottage Garden
Beautification, Borders, Decorating walls, Ground Cover
Beauty Benefits
For treating wrinkles, Moisturizing, used as a dye
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Shadow Tree
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Cramps, Dermatitis
-
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Fruits, Leaves
-
Other Uses
Can be made into a herbal tea, Making Sweet Scented Oil, Sauces, Used as firewood
Used as Ornamental plant, useful as a ground cover
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Mixed Border, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
-
Botanical Name
ALEURITES moluccanus
CRYPTANTHUS
Common Name
Candleberry, Candlenut, Kukui
Cryptanthus, Earth Star
In Hindi
Aleurites moluccanus
Earth Star
In German
Lichtnussbaum
Erdstern
In French
Aleurites moluccana
Terre étoile
In Spanish
Aleurites moluccanus
estrella de la tierra
In Greek
Aleurites moluccanus
γη αστεριών
In Portuguese
Nogueira-de-iguape
Estrela da terra
In Polish
Nogueira-de-iguape
Gwiazda ziemi
In Latin
Aleurites moluccanus
terra, stella
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Angiosperms
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Euphorbiales
Bromeliales
Family
Euphorbiaceae
Bromeliaceae
Genus
Aleurites
Cryptanthus
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Aleuritideae
-
Subfamily
Crotonoideae
Bromelioideae
Number of Species
5050
1
27800
👆🏻