Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Fruit, Shrub
Tender Perennial
Origin
South America
North America, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean, Caribbean, Central America, South America
Types
V. × heilbornii
Cryptanthus 'Absolute Zero'
Cryptanthus 'Agate'
Cryptanthus 'Alberta'
Cryptanthus 'Alpine Frost'
Number of Varieties
0480
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Mediterranean region, Subtropical climates, Tropical regions
Lowland evergreen rainforest, Rainforest, Shaded sites, Wild
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-11-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
11-9
-
Sunset Zone
H1, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
-
Habit
Upright/Erect
-
Plant Size
Minimum Height
180.00 cm20.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
150.00 cm15.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow green
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Light Yellow, Yellow green
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
-
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Palmate
Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
-
Growth Rate
Fast
-
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
-
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
-
Soil Drainage
Well drained
-
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Vegetative Reproduction
Cuttings, Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering
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
Acidic, Neutral
-
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
-
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
-
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
-
Pruning
Remove shoots
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
Insignificant
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
Matte
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Ladybug beetles, Mealybugs, Scale Insects
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification, Borders, Decorating walls, Ground Cover
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Digestive disorders
-
Part of Plant Used
Fruits
-
Other Uses
Used in making champagne
Used as Ornamental plant, useful as a ground cover
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
-
Botanical Name
VASCONCELLEA x heilbornii
CRYPTANTHUS
Common Name
Babaco, Mountain Papaya
Cryptanthus, Earth Star
In Hindi
Babaco
Earth Star
In German
Babaco
Erdstern
In French
Babaco
Terre étoile
In Spanish
Babaco
estrella de la tierra
In Greek
Babaco
γη αστεριών
In Portuguese
Babaco
Estrela da terra
In Polish
Babaco
Gwiazda ziemi
In Latin
Babaco
terra, stella
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Brassicales
Bromeliales
Family
Caricaceae
Bromeliaceae
Genus
Vasconcellea
Cryptanthus
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Bromelioideae
Number of Species
150
1
27800
👆🏻