Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Perennial
Type
Shrub
Flowering Plants
Origin
Central America, South America
Southwestern United States, California
Types
Fruit Tree
-
Number of Varieties
240
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dry areas, Well Drained, Woodlands
Dry areas, meadows
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-114-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
9-1
Sunset Zone
13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21
Habit
Thicket/Colonizing
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
457.20 cm61.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
243.84 cm25.40 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Pink
Crimson
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Red
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green, Gray Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green, Gray Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Light Green, Gray Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval
Oblong
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring, Summer
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Requires regular watering
Do Not over Water, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water when soil is dry
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Dry, Sandy
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
In Early Autumn, Prune in winter, Remove branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
No pruning needed in the early stages, Prune to stimulate growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove deadheads
Fertilizers
Complete balanced fertilizer, iron-rich fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 10-10-10 amount
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Red blotch, Whiteflies
Insects
Plant Tolerance
Wind
Drought
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
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Birds, Butterflies, pollinators
Hummingbirds
Allergy
Pollen
Asthma
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for birds, Nesting sites for birds, Windbreak
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antioxidants, Arthritis, Diarrhea, Dysentry, Fertility, Fever, Inflammation, Kidney problems, Urinary tract problems, Vitamin C
Burns, Snakebite, Stomach aliments
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Fruits, Leaves, Root
Whole plant
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for making hedge
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Container, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Botanical Name
Malpighia emarginata
PENSTEMON eatonii
Common Name
Barbados cherry, West Indian cherry and wild crepe myrtle
Firecracker Penstemon
In Hindi
Acerola Tree
Firecracker penstemon
In German
Acerola Baum
Kracher penstemon
In French
Acerola Arbre
Firecracker penstemon
In Spanish
Árbol de acerola
Penstemon del petardo
In Greek
Acerola Δέντρο
πυροτέχνημα penstemon
In Portuguese
Árvore acerola
Penstemon do foguete
In Polish
Acerola Drzewo
petarda penstemon
In Latin
Acerola ligno
Firecracker Persicaria
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
-
Class
-
-
Order
Malpighiales
Lamiales
Family
Malpighiaceae
Scrophulariaceae
Genus
Malpighia
Penstemon
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Paperveroideae
-
Number of Species
-250
1
27800
👆🏻