Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Tender Perennial
Origin
Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, South-Central United States
North America, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean, Caribbean, Central America, South America
Types
-
Cryptanthus 'Absolute Zero'
Cryptanthus 'Agate'
Cryptanthus 'Alberta'
Cryptanthus 'Alpine Frost'
Number of Varieties
3480
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
bottomlands, Depression on prairies, ditches, Floodplains, Riverbanks, stream banks, Swamps
Lowland evergreen rainforest, Rainforest, Shaded sites, Wild
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-9-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
-
Sunset Zone
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
Oval or Rounded
-
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,220.00 cm20.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
1,220.00 cm15.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Brown
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Black
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Yellow, Light Yellow, Tan
-
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval with a pointed tip and fine teeth along their edges
Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
-
Growth Rate
Fast
-
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
-
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
-
Soil Drainage
Average
-
Bloom Time
Spring
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Pollution, Soil Compaction
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Cuttings, Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
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
-
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
-
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
-
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
-
Pruning
Prune in the late winter or spring, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Shape and thin as needed
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, No need to fertilize every year
Does not require fertilizer once established
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Red blotch, Sawfly Larvae
Pests and diseases free, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Pollution, Soil Compaction, Wet Site
Variety of soil types
Flowers
Showy
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
-
Ladybug beetles, Mealybugs, Scale Insects
Allergy
Asthma
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification, Borders, Decorating walls, Ground Cover
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Erosion control, Wildlife
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
-
Other Uses
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Used as Ornamental plant, useful as a ground cover
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
-
Botanical Name
BETULA nigra
CRYPTANTHUS
Common Name
River Birch
Cryptanthus, Earth Star
In Hindi
River Birch
Earth Star
In German
Fluss Birch
Erdstern
In French
Birch river
Terre étoile
In Spanish
river Birch
estrella de la tierra
In Greek
ποταμός Birch
γη αστεριών
In Portuguese
river Birch
Estrela da terra
In Polish
Rzeka Birch
Gwiazda ziemi
In Latin
Betula
terra, stella
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Fagales
Bromeliales
Family
Betulaceae
Bromeliaceae
Genus
Betula
Cryptanthus
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Bromelioideae
Number of Species
350
1
27800
👆🏻