Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Herbs
Tender Perennial
Origin
Europe
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
15480
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Pastures, Woodlands
Lowland evergreen rainforest, Rainforest, Shaded sites, Wild
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
-
Sunset Zone
A2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
-
Habit
Clump-Forming
-
Plant Size
Minimum Height
45.70 cm20.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.50 cm15.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Blue
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Light Green
-
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval
Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
-
Growth Rate
Very Fast
-
Type of Soil
Loam
-
The pH of Soil
Neutral
-
Soil Drainage
Well drained
-
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
-
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
Keep ground moist
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
Neutral
-
Soil Type
Loam
-
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
-
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
-
Pruning
Prune regularly, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Pinch or prune as they grow to promote branching and bushiness, Pinching, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
fertilize in growing season
Does not require fertilizer once established
Pests and Diseases
Japanese Beetles
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
Bees
Ladybug beetles, Mealybugs, Scale Insects
Allergy
belching, bloating, Diarrhea, Digestive Problems, gas, gastro-intestinal problems, Headache, Nausea
-
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
Demulcent, Diuretic, Emollient, Fever, Kidney problems, Pulmonary afflictions
-
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves, Seeds
-
Other Uses
Used for its medicinal properties
Used as Ornamental plant, useful as a ground cover
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border
-
Botanical Name
BORAGO officinalis
CRYPTANTHUS
Common Name
Borage, starflower
Cryptanthus, Earth Star
In Hindi
Borage
Earth Star
In German
Borretsch
Erdstern
In French
Bourrache
Terre étoile
In Spanish
borraja
estrella de la tierra
In Greek
Borage
γη αστεριών
In Portuguese
Borragem
Estrela da terra
In Polish
Ogórecznik
Gwiazda ziemi
In Latin
borage
terra, stella
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Bromeliales
Family
Boraginaceae
Bromeliaceae
Genus
Borago
Cryptanthus
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Bromelioideae
Number of Species
15050
1
27800
👆🏻