Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Herbs
Tender Perennial
Origin
Mexico, Central America, South America
North America, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean, Caribbean, Central America, South America
Types
Dysphania ambrosioides (L.) Mosyakin & Clemants
Cryptanthus 'Absolute Zero'
Cryptanthus 'Agate'
Cryptanthus 'Alberta'
Cryptanthus 'Alpine Frost'
Number of Varieties
1480
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
shrublands, tropical grasslands
Lowland evergreen rainforest, Rainforest, Shaded sites, Wild
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
-
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
-
Habit
Upright/Erect
-
Plant Size
Minimum Height
45.70 cm20.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
50.80 cm15.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Green
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Light Green, Tan
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Light Green
-
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Lanceolate
Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
-
Growth Rate
Very Fast
-
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
-
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
-
Soil Drainage
Well drained
-
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, 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
Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering
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, Alkaline
-
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
-
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
-
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
-
Pruning
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
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Does not require fertilizer once established
Pests and Diseases
Pest Free
Pests and diseases free, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
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
Matte
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Flies
Ladybug beetles, Mealybugs, Scale Insects
Allergy
allergic reaction, Skin irritation
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification, Borders, Decorating walls, Ground Cover
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Detoxification, Insect Bites, Stomach pain, Treat Parasitic Intestinal Worms
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds
-
Other Uses
Pesticide, The essential oil is used as insect repellent
Used as Ornamental plant, useful as a ground cover
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Herb / Vegetable
-
Botanical Name
CHENOPODIUM ambrosioides
CRYPTANTHUS
Common Name
Mexican Tea
Cryptanthus, Earth Star
In Hindi
Dysphania ambrosioides
Earth Star
In German
Mexikanischer Drüsengänsefuß
Erdstern
In French
Épazote
Terre étoile
In Spanish
Dysphania ambrosioides
estrella de la tierra
In Greek
Μεξικού τσάι
γη αστεριών
In Portuguese
Dysphania ambrosioides
Estrela da terra
In Polish
Komosa piżmowa
Gwiazda ziemi
In Latin
Dysphania ambrosioides
terra, stella
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Bromeliales
Family
Chenopodiaceae
Bromeliaceae
Genus
Dysphania
Cryptanthus
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Dysphanieae
-
Subfamily
Chenopodioideae
Bromelioideae
Number of Species
3050
1
27800
👆🏻