Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Tender Perennial
Origin
India
North America, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean, Caribbean, Central America, South America
Types
Green cardamom, Black cardamom
Cryptanthus 'Absolute Zero'
Cryptanthus 'Agate'
Cryptanthus 'Alberta'
Cryptanthus 'Alpine Frost'
Number of Varieties
-480
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Forests, Mountains
Lowland evergreen rainforest, Rainforest, Shaded sites, Wild
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-12-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
-
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
-
Habit
Clump-Forming
-
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm20.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
45.00 cm15.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Yellow, Ivory
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Dark Red, Brown, Sienna
-
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
Lanceolate
Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial shade, Full Shade
-
Growth Rate
Fast
-
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
-
The pH of Soil
Neutral
-
Soil Drainage
Well drained
-
Bloom Time
-
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Cuttings, Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water
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
Clay, Loam
-
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
-
Sun Exposure
Partial shade, Full Shade
-
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
Mosaic viruses, Nematodes, Red blotch, Thripes
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
Glossy
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Aphids, Insects
Ladybug beetles, Mealybugs, Scale Insects
Allergy
Skin rash
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification, Borders, Decorating walls, Ground Cover
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, Antioxidants, Aphrodisiac, Cold, Diuretic, Fights Depression
-
Part of Plant Used
Pods, Seeds
-
Other Uses
Used for its medicinal properties, Used as a spice
Used as Ornamental plant, useful as a ground cover
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border, Tropical
-
Botanical Name
ELETTARIA cardamomum
CRYPTANTHUS
Common Name
Cardamom
Cryptanthus, Earth Star
In Hindi
इलायची
Earth Star
In German
Kardamom
Erdstern
In French
Cardamome
Terre étoile
In Spanish
Cardamomo
estrella de la tierra
In Greek
Κάρδαμο
γη αστεριών
In Portuguese
Cardamomo
Estrela da terra
In Polish
Kardamon
Gwiazda ziemi
In Latin
Cardamom
terra, stella
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Zingiberales
Bromeliales
Family
Zingiberaceae
Bromeliaceae
Genus
Elettaria
Cryptanthus
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Bromelioideae
Number of Species
37650
1
27800
👆🏻