Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Fruits, Trees
Origin
North America, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean, Caribbean, Central America, South America
Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tropical Indomalaya
Types
Cryptanthus 'Absolute Zero'
Cryptanthus 'Agate'
Cryptanthus 'Alberta'
Cryptanthus 'Alpine Frost'
Feronia limonia, Limonia acidissima
Number of Varieties
4801
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Lowland evergreen rainforest, Rainforest, Shaded sites, Wild
Dry areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
-
Sunset Zone
-
-
Habit
-
-
Plant Size
Minimum Height
20.00 cm800.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
15.00 cm900.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
-
Greyish Brown, Light Green
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
-
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
-
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Linear
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Autumn
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
-
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
-
Medium
Type of Soil
-
Rich
The pH of Soil
-
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
-
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Late Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Budding, Layering, root cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do not water excessively, Keep the Soil well drained
Do not water excessively
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
-
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
-
Rich
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 after harvesting, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
Does not require fertilizer once established
for fruiting plants, use high phosphorous content fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Pests and diseases free, 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
-
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ladybug beetles, Mealybugs, Scale Insects
-
Allergy
-
Gastric
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Borders, Decorating walls, Ground Cover
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Good Cleanser
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
-
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Blood cleanser, Diabetes, Ear ache, Energy, Kidney problems, Liver Protection, Malaria, Respiratory Disorders, Snakebite
Part of Plant Used
-
Fruits
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant, useful as a ground cover
Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
-
Edible, Fruit Tree
Botanical Name
CRYPTANTHUS
Limonia acidissima
Common Name
Cryptanthus, Earth Star
Wood apple, monkey fruit, curd fruit
In Hindi
Earth Star
कबिट
In German
Erdstern
Indischer Holzapfel
In French
Terre étoile
Kawista
In Spanish
estrella de la tierra
Kawista
In Greek
γη αστεριών
γλυκό ασβέστη
In Portuguese
Estrela da terra
Limonia
In Polish
Gwiazda ziemi
Feronia słoniowa
In Latin
terra, stella
dulcis ad cinerem
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Bromeliales
Sapindales
Family
Bromeliaceae
Rutaceae
Genus
Cryptanthus
Limonia
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Citreae
Subfamily
Bromelioideae
Aurantioideae
Number of Species
501
1
27800
👆🏻