Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Fruit
Tender Perennial
Origin
Southern Asia, India, Melanesia, Australia
North America, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean, Caribbean, Central America, South America
Types
Citrus medica var. sarcodactylis
Cryptanthus 'Absolute Zero'
Cryptanthus 'Agate'
Cryptanthus 'Alberta'
Cryptanthus 'Alpine Frost'
Number of Varieties
1480
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Well Drained
Lowland evergreen rainforest, Rainforest, Shaded sites, Wild
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-11-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
-
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
-
Habit
Oval or Rounded
-
Plant Size
Minimum Height
370.00 cm20.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
300.00 cm15.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Purple
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Yellow
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
-
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval
Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
-
Growth Rate
Medium
-
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
-
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
-
Soil Drainage
Well drained
-
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Winter, Late Winter, Indeterminate
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Budding, Cuttings
Cuttings, Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep the Soil well drained, Requires watering in the growing season
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, Alkaline
-
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
-
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
-
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
-
Pruning
Prune in spring, Remove branches, Remove branches that rub together, Remove crossing or rubbing branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, 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
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, fertilize in spring, fertilize in summer, organic fertlizers
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
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Glossy
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies
Ladybug beetles, Mealybugs, Scale Insects
Allergy
Asthma
-
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
Respiratory Disorders, Soothing and relieving pain
-
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Fruits
-
Other Uses
Making Perfumes, Traditional medicine, Used As Food, 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, Feature Plant, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Hedges, Houseplant, Shade Trees, Topiary / Bonsai / Espalier, Tropical
-
Botanical Name
CITRUS medica var. sarcodactylis
CRYPTANTHUS
Common Name
Buddha's Hand, Fingered Citron
Cryptanthus, Earth Star
In Hindi
Buddha's Hand
Tree
Earth Star
In German
Buddhas Hand
Baum
Erdstern
In French
Main de Bouddha
Arbre
Terre étoile
In Spanish
Mano de Buda
Árbol
estrella de la tierra
In Greek
Χέρι του Βούδα
Δέντρο
γη αστεριών
In Portuguese
Mão de Buda
Árvore
Estrela da terra
In Polish
Ręka Buddy
Drzewo
Gwiazda ziemi
In Latin
Buddha manus
Arbor
terra, stella
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Tracheophyta
Class
-
Liliopsida
Order
Sapindales
Bromeliales
Family
Rutaceae
Bromeliaceae
Genus
Citrus
Cryptanthus
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Bromelioideae
Number of Species
150
1
27800
👆🏻