Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Bulb or Corm or Tuber
Tender Perennial
Origin
Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, Mediterranean, Turkey, Western Asia
North America, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean, Caribbean, Central America, South America
Types
Mountain silverbell , Rosea
Cryptanthus 'Absolute Zero'
Cryptanthus 'Agate'
Cryptanthus 'Alberta'
Cryptanthus 'Alpine Frost'
Number of Varieties
3480
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, low mountains, Lower slopes, secondary forest
Lowland evergreen rainforest, Rainforest, Shaded sites, Wild
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-9-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-5
-
Sunset Zone
21,22
-
Habit
Clump-Forming
-
Plant Size
Minimum Height
25.40 cm20.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.50 cm15.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Several shades of Green
-
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Acuminate
Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
-
Growth Rate
Fast
-
Type of Soil
-
-
The pH of Soil
-
-
Soil Drainage
Well drained
-
Bloom Time
Spring, Late Spring
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Layering, Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Cuttings, Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
occasional watering once established
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
-
-
Soil Type
-
-
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
-
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
-
Pruning
Prune grass to maintain level, 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
Pests and diseases free
Pests and diseases free, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought and Salt
Variety of soil types
Flowers
Showy
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
Bees, Flying insects
Ladybug beetles, Mealybugs, Scale Insects
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
along a porch, deck or patio, Beautification, Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes, Wild gardens
Beautification, Borders, Decorating walls, Ground Cover
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
-
-
Other Uses
Decoration Purposes
Used as Ornamental plant, useful as a ground cover
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
-
Botanical Name
ORNITHOGALUM nutans
CRYPTANTHUS
Common Name
Drooping Star-of-Bethlehem, Nodding Star-of-Bethlehem, Silver Bells
Cryptanthus, Earth Star
In Hindi
Silver bells
Earth Star
In German
Silver bells
Erdstern
In French
Silver bells
Terre étoile
In Spanish
Silver bells
estrella de la tierra
In Greek
Silver bells
γη αστεριών
In Portuguese
Silver bells
Estrela da terra
In Polish
Silver bells
Gwiazda ziemi
In Latin
Silver bells
terra, stella
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Angiosperms
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Ebenales
Bromeliales
Family
Asparagaceae
Bromeliaceae
Genus
Halesia
Cryptanthus
Clade
Eudicots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Bromelioideae
Number of Species
450
1
27800
👆🏻