Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Fruit
Origin
North America, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean, Caribbean, Central America, South America
Southern Asia, India, Melanesia, Australia
Types
Cryptanthus 'Absolute Zero'
Cryptanthus 'Agate'
Cryptanthus 'Alberta'
Cryptanthus 'Alpine Frost'
Citrus medica var. sarcodactylis
Number of Varieties
4801
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Lowland evergreen rainforest, Rainforest, Shaded sites, Wild
Well Drained
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99999-11
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
20.00 cm370.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
15.00 cm300.00 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
Linear
Oval
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?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Budding, Cuttings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do not water excessively, Keep the Soil well drained
Keep the Soil well drained, 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
Soil pH
-
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
-
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
-
Well drained
Sun Exposure
-
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Pinch or prune as they grow to promote branching and bushiness, Pinching, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
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
Fertilizers
Does not require fertilizer once established
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, fertilize in spring, fertilize in summer, organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Pests and diseases free, Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Variety of soil types
Drought
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
Ladybug beetles, Mealybugs, Scale Insects
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
-
Asthma
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Borders, Decorating walls, Ground Cover
Showy Purposes
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
Used as Ornamental plant, useful as a ground cover
Making Perfumes, Traditional medicine, Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties
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
CRYPTANTHUS
CITRUS medica var. sarcodactylis
Common Name
Cryptanthus, Earth Star
Buddha's Hand, Fingered Citron
In Hindi
Earth Star
Buddha's Hand
Tree
In German
Erdstern
Buddhas Hand
Baum
In French
Terre étoile
Main de Bouddha
Arbre
In Spanish
estrella de la tierra
Mano de Buda
Árbol
In Greek
γη αστεριών
Χέρι του Βούδα
Δέντρο
In Portuguese
Estrela da terra
Mão de Buda
Árvore
In Polish
Gwiazda ziemi
Ręka Buddy
Drzewo
In Latin
terra, stella
Buddha manus
Arbor
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
-
Class
Liliopsida
-
Order
Bromeliales
Sapindales
Family
Bromeliaceae
Rutaceae
Genus
Cryptanthus
Citrus
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Bromelioideae
-
Number of Species
501
1
27800
👆🏻