Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Fruit
Tender Perennial
Origin
Southeastern Asia
North America, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean, Caribbean, Central America, South America
Types
Citrus hystrix
Cryptanthus 'Absolute Zero'
Cryptanthus 'Agate'
Cryptanthus 'Alberta'
Cryptanthus 'Alpine Frost'
Number of Varieties
1480
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Deep, gardens, old gardens, Well Drained
Lowland evergreen rainforest, Rainforest, Shaded sites, Wild
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-11-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-8
-
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
180.00 cm20.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
240.00 cm15.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Yellow, Green, Yellow green
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
-
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
-
Growth Rate
Fast
-
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
-
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
-
Soil Drainage
Well drained
-
Bloom Time
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Cuttings, Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Water Deeply
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 for shortening long shoots, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Thinning
Pinch or prune as they grow to promote branching and bushiness, Pinching, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Apply N-P-K, can go long without fertilizers
Does not require fertilizer once established
Pests and Diseases
Armored scales, Fomes root rot, Mites, Red blotch
Pests and diseases free, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate, Drought, Heat And Humidity
Variety of soil types
Flowers
Insignificant
Showy
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
Birds, Butterflies
Ladybug beetles, Mealybugs, Scale Insects
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Bonsai
Beautification, Borders, Decorating walls, Ground Cover
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Blood purifier, Digestion problems, Digestive disorders
-
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
-
Other Uses
Making Shampoo, Used as insect repellent
Used as Ornamental plant, useful as a ground cover
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Hedges, Mixed Border
-
Botanical Name
CITRUS hystrix
CRYPTANTHUS
Common Name
Kaffir Lime, Makrut
Cryptanthus, Earth Star
In Hindi
काफ़िर लाइम
Earth Star
In German
Kaffernlimette
Erdstern
In French
combava
Terre étoile
In Spanish
cafre
estrella de la tierra
In Greek
Καφρός Lime
γη αστεριών
In Portuguese
Kaffir Lime
Estrela da terra
In Polish
kaffir wapno
Gwiazda ziemi
In Latin
Cafres Lime
terra, stella
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Sapindales
Bromeliales
Family
Rutaceae
Bromeliaceae
Genus
Citrus
Cryptanthus
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Bromelioideae
Number of Species
40050
1
27800
👆🏻