Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Tender Perennial
Origin
Western United States, California, Mexico
North America, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean, Caribbean, Central America, South America
Types
Calocedrus decurrens
Cryptanthus 'Absolute Zero'
Cryptanthus 'Agate'
Cryptanthus 'Alberta'
Cryptanthus 'Alpine Frost'
Number of Varieties
1480
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
low mountains, Mountain tops, Subtropical climates, Temperate Regions
Lowland evergreen rainforest, Rainforest, Shaded sites, Wild
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-8-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
8-1
-
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
-
Habit
Upright/Erect
-
Plant Size
Minimum Height
2,130.00 cm20.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm15.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Sandy Brown
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
-
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Pinnate
Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
-
Growth Rate
Slow
-
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
-
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
-
Soil Drainage
Well drained
-
Bloom Time
-
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Stem Planting
Cuttings, Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs less watering, Water occasionally
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
Acidic, Neutral
-
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
-
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
-
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
-
Pruning
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, 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
No fertilizers needed
Does not require fertilizer once established
Pests and Diseases
Insects
Pests and diseases free, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Variety of soil types
Flowers
-
Showy
Flower Petal Number
-
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
Birds
Ladybug beetles, Mealybugs, Scale Insects
Allergy
-
-
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
Stomach pain
-
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Leaves
-
Other Uses
Making Perfumes, Used in pencil industry
Used as Ornamental plant, useful as a ground cover
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Screening / Wind Break, Shade Trees, Street Trees
-
Botanical Name
CALOCEDRUS decurrens
CRYPTANTHUS
Common Name
Incense Cedar
Cryptanthus, Earth Star
In Hindi
Incense Cedar
Earth Star
In German
Zeder
Erdstern
In French
Encens Cedar
Terre étoile
In Spanish
cedro de incienso
estrella de la tierra
In Greek
θυμίαμα Κέδρος
γη αστεριών
In Portuguese
cedro de incenso
Estrela da terra
In Polish
kadzidło Cedar
Gwiazda ziemi
In Latin
incensum Cedar
terra, stella
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Pinopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Pinales
Bromeliales
Family
Cupressaceae
Bromeliaceae
Genus
Calocedrus
Cryptanthus
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Bromelioideae
Number of Species
5050
1
27800
👆🏻