Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Perennial
Tender Perennial
Origin
Eastern Europe
North America, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean, Caribbean, Central America, South America
Types
Iris
Cryptanthus 'Absolute Zero'
Cryptanthus 'Agate'
Cryptanthus 'Alberta'
Cryptanthus 'Alpine Frost'
Number of Varieties
25480
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Terrestrial
Lowland evergreen rainforest, Rainforest, Shaded sites, Wild
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-9-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
-
Sunset Zone
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
10.20 cm20.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
15.20 cm15.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Lavender, Blue Violet
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Sea Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Sea Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Sea Green
-
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Lanceolate
Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
-
Growth Rate
Medium
-
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
-
The pH of Soil
Neutral
-
Soil Drainage
Well drained
-
Bloom Time
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
By dividing rhizomes, tubers, 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
Loam, Sand
-
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
-
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
-
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
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
Coarse
-
Foliage Sheen
Matte
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Hummingbirds
Ladybug beetles, Mealybugs, Scale Insects
Allergy
Skin irritation
-
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
-
-
Part of Plant Used
-
-
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Used as Ornamental plant, useful as a ground cover
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Alpine, Edging, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
-
Botanical Name
IRIS pumila
CRYPTANTHUS
Common Name
Dwarf Iris
Cryptanthus, Earth Star
In Hindi
Dwarf Iris
Earth Star
In German
Zwergiris
Erdstern
In French
Dwarf Iris
Terre étoile
In Spanish
Enano Iris
estrella de la tierra
In Greek
νάνος Ίρις
γη αστεριών
In Portuguese
Dwarf Iris
Estrela da terra
In Polish
Dwarf Iris
Gwiazda ziemi
In Latin
Iris Dwarf
terra, stella
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Liliales
Bromeliales
Family
Iridaceae
Bromeliaceae
Genus
Iris
Cryptanthus
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Irideae
-
Subfamily
Iridoideae
Bromelioideae
Number of Species
30050
1
27800
👆🏻