Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Tender Perennial
Vegetable
Origin
North America, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean, Caribbean, Central America, South America
North America, Mexico, Central America
Types
Cryptanthus 'Absolute Zero'
Cryptanthus 'Agate'
Cryptanthus 'Alberta'
Cryptanthus 'Alpine Frost'
-
Number of Varieties
48020
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Lowland evergreen rainforest, Rainforest, Shaded sites, Wild
-
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
12-1
Sunset Zone
-
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
-
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
20.00 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
15.00 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Yellow, Orange
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Yellow
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
-
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
-
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Linear
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
-
Full Sun
Growth Rate
-
Very Fast
Type of Soil
-
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
-
Neutral
Soil Drainage
-
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Divison
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do not water excessively, Keep the Soil well drained
Do not water frequently
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
Pruning
Pinch or prune as they grow to promote branching and bushiness, Pinching, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Requires very little pruning
Fertilizers
Does not require fertilizer once established
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Pests and diseases free, Red blotch
Borers, Cucumber beetles, Mealybugs, Powdery mildew
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
-
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
-
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ladybug beetles, Mealybugs, Scale Insects
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Borders, Decorating walls, Ground Cover
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
-
Fruits
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant, useful as a ground cover
Used as a nutritious food item, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
-
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
CRYPTANTHUS
CUCURBITA pepo 'Papaya Pear'
Common Name
Cryptanthus, Earth Star
Summer Squash
In Hindi
Earth Star
summer squash
In German
Erdstern
Sommerkürbis
In French
Terre étoile
courges d'été
In Spanish
estrella de la tierra
calabaza de verano
In Greek
γη αστεριών
καλοκαίρι σκουός
In Portuguese
Estrela da terra
abobrinha
In Polish
Gwiazda ziemi
latem squash
In Latin
terra, stella
aestas cucurbitae
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Bromeliales
Violales
Family
Bromeliaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Cryptanthus
Cucurbita
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Cucurbiteae
Subfamily
Bromelioideae
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
505
1
27800
👆🏻