Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Perennial
Tender Perennial
Origin
North America, United States, Northeastern United States, Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Canada
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
2480
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens, Hardwood forests
Lowland evergreen rainforest, Rainforest, Shaded sites, Wild
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-7-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
7-5
-
Sunset Zone
2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
-
Habit
Clump-Forming
-
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.20 cm20.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
12.70 cm15.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Light Green
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Blue Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Gray Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray Green
-
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Butterfly shaped
Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial shade, Full Shade
-
Growth Rate
Slow
-
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
-
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
-
Soil Drainage
Average
-
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Divison, Seedlings, Stem Planting
Cuttings, Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
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
Neutral, Alkaline
-
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
-
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
-
Sun Exposure
Partial shade, Full Shade
-
Pruning
Remove deadheads, Requires very little pruning
Pinch or prune as they grow to promote branching and bushiness, Pinching, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
No fertilizers needed
Does not require fertilizer once established
Pests and Diseases
Pests and diseases free, Red blotch
Pests and diseases free, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Variety of soil types
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Coarse
-
Foliage Sheen
Matte
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Butterflies
Ladybug beetles, Mealybugs, Scale Insects
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification, Borders, Decorating walls, Ground Cover
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Cancer, Diuretic
-
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Root
-
Other Uses
-
Used as Ornamental plant, useful as a ground cover
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Groundcover
-
Botanical Name
JEFFERSONIA diphylla
CRYPTANTHUS
Common Name
-
Cryptanthus, Earth Star
In Hindi
Twinleaf
Earth Star
In German
Twinleaf
Erdstern
In French
Twinleaf
Terre étoile
In Spanish
Twinleaf
estrella de la tierra
In Greek
Twinleaf
γη αστεριών
In Portuguese
Twinleaf
Estrela da terra
In Polish
Twinleaf
Gwiazda ziemi
In Latin
Twinleaf
terra, stella
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Ranunculales
Bromeliales
Family
Berberidaceae
Bromeliaceae
Genus
Jeffersonia
Cryptanthus
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Bromelioideae
Number of Species
250
1
27800
👆🏻