Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Ornamental Plants, Shrubs
Tender Perennial
Origin
Eastern Europe, Western Asia
North America, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean, Caribbean, Central America, South America
Types
Kochia Indica, Neokochia californica
Cryptanthus 'Absolute Zero'
Cryptanthus 'Agate'
Cryptanthus 'Alberta'
Cryptanthus 'Alpine Frost'
Number of Varieties
140480
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens, Temperate Regions
Lowland evergreen rainforest, Rainforest, Shaded sites, Wild
USDA Hardiness Zone
3-11-9999
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
Upright/Erect
-
Plant Size
Minimum Height
120.00 cm20.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
90.00 cm15.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
-
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Gray Green, Burgundy, Crimson
-
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Linear
Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
-
Growth Rate
Fast
-
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
-
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
-
Soil Drainage
Average
-
Bloom Time
Summer
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Stem Cutting, Transplanting
Cuttings, Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
occasional watering once established, Requires consistently moist soil
Average Water Needs, Do not water excessively, Keep the Soil well drained
In Summer
Moderate
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Less Watering
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
-
Soil Type
Well drained
-
Soil Drainage Capacity
Loamy, Well drained
-
Sun Exposure
Bright direct sunlight
-
Pruning
Pinch or prune as they grow to promote branching and bushiness, Remove dead branches
Pinch or prune as they grow to promote branching and bushiness, Pinching, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Does not require fertilizer once established
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Mosquito
Pests and diseases free, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Heat Tolerance, Humidity
Variety of soil types
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Fine
-
Foliage Sheen
Matte
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies, Leaf Hoppers
Ladybug beetles, Mealybugs, Scale Insects
Allergy
Eye irritation, Respiratory problems
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Landscape Designing
Beautification, Borders, Decorating walls, Ground Cover
Beauty Benefits
For treating wrinkles, Making cosmetics, Removes dandruff, Skin cleanser
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Provides ground cover
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Diabetes, Hypotensive, Obesity
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
-
Other Uses
Cattle Fodder, Sauces, Traditional medicine, Used for fragrance, Wood log is used in making fences
Used as Ornamental plant, useful as a ground cover
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Groundcover
-
Botanical Name
BASSIA scoparia
CRYPTANTHUS
Common Name
Burningbush, Kochia
Cryptanthus, Earth Star
In Hindi
Bassia scoparia
Earth Star
In German
Besen-Radmelde
Erdstern
In French
Bassia scoparia
Terre étoile
In Spanish
Kochia scoparia
estrella de la tierra
In Greek
Bassia scoparia
γη αστεριών
In Portuguese
Bassia scoparia
Estrela da terra
In Polish
Mietelnik żakula
Gwiazda ziemi
In Latin
Bassia scoparia
terra, stella
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Angiosperms
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Bromeliales
Family
Chenopodiaceae
Bromeliaceae
Genus
Bassia
Cryptanthus
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Camphorosmoideae
Bromelioideae
Number of Species
450
1
27800
👆🏻