Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Shrub
Flowering Plants
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
North America
Types
Orange, Dark Red (Ratan aboli), Yellow, Delhi Crossandra , Arka Ambara, Arka Kanaka (IIHR varieties)
Helianthus annuus, Heliantheae,
Habitat
Screen Cottage and Informal Garden, Urban areas, Wild
Dry areas, Open areas, Prairies
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-15
3-10
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 24
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 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
Upright/Erect
Upright/Erect
Flower Color
Orange, Orange Red
Brown, Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Not Available
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Not Available
Black, Chocolate, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green, Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
Not Available
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Bright direct sunlight
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Dry, Light, Well drained
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Fall, Early Summer, Fall, Late Spring, Late Summer, Summer
Tolerances
Not Available
Not Available
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Water daily during growing season
Keep the ground moist but not water-logged, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam
Dry, Light, Well drained
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Bright direct sunlight
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead flowers, Remove dead leaves
Prune ocassionally, Requires little pruning
Fertilizers
Balanced liquid fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Alternaria leaf blight, Apical chlorosis, Bacteria wilt, Bacterial leaf spot, Botrytis head rot, Charcoal rot, Crown gall, Downy mildew, Erwinia stalk rot, Fusarium stalk rot, Fusarium wilt, head rot, Phialophora yellows, Stem spot
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Attracts
Hummingbirds, Butterflies
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
Not Available
Runny nose, Red eyes, Watery eyes, Sore eyes, Itchy eyes
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Bouquets, Cottage Garden, Ground Cover, Hanging Basket, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Beautification, Bouquets, Showy Purposes, Used for decorating walls, fences, gates, hedges, etc.
Beauty Benefits
Not Available
Not Available
Environmental Uses
Agroforestry
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Antibacterial, Aphrodisiac, Bronchitis, Cough, Liver problems, Menstrual Disorders
Pulmonary afflictions
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Flowers, Seeds, Stem
Other Uses
Basketary, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
As Fertilizers, Economic Purpose, Oil is used in perfume, soaps, creams, etc., Showy Purposes, Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for producing cooking oil
Used As Indoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Cutflower, Hedges, Tropical
Bedding Plant, Bonsai, Container, Edging, Edible, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Vegetable
Botanical Name
CROSSANDRA infundibuliformis
Helianths Annuus
Common Name
Crossandra, firecracker flower
Sunflower
In Hindi
Crossandra
Sūrajamukhī
In German
Crossandra
Sonnenblume
In French
Crossandra
Tournesol
In Spanish
Crossandra
Girasol
In Greek
Crossandra
ηλιοτρόπιο
In Portuguese
Crossandra
Girassol
In Polish
Crossandra
słonecznik
In Latin
Crossandra
Helianthus
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Scrophulariales
Asterales
Family
Acanthaceae
Asteraceae
Genus
Crossandra
Heilanthus
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Not Available
Tribe
Not Available
Heliantheae
Subfamily
Not Available
Helianthodeae
Importance of Crossandra and Sunflower
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Crossandra and Sunflower. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Crossandra and Sunflower as they differ in many characteristics such as their life, care, benefits, facts, etc. Every gardener must at least have the slightest clue about the plants he wants to plant in his garden. Compare their benefits, which differ in many ways like facts and uses. The medicinal use of Crossandra is Antibacterial, Aphrodisiac, Bronchitis, Cough, Liver problems and Menstrual Disorders whereas of Sunflower is Pulmonary afflictions. Crossandra has beauty benefits as follows: Not Available while Sunflower has beauty benefits as follows: Not Available.
Compare Facts of Crossandra vs Sunflower
How to choose the best garden plant for your garden depending upon its facts? Here garden plant comparison will help you to solve this query. Compare the facts of Crossandra vs Sunflower and know which one to choose. As garden plants have benefits and other uses, allergy is also a major drawback of plants for some people. Allergic reactions of Crossandra are Not Available whereas of Sunflower have Runny nose, Red eyes, Watery eyes, Sore eyes and Itchy eyes respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Crossandra has no showy fruits and Sunflower has no showy fruits. Also Crossandra is not flowering and Sunflower is flowering. You can compare Crossandra and Sunflower facts and facts of other plants too.