Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Fruit, Shrub
Flowering Plants
Origin
South America
Southwestern United States, California
Types
V. × heilbornii
-
Number of Varieties
040
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Mediterranean region, Subtropical climates, Tropical regions
Dry areas, meadows
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-114-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
11-9
9-1
Sunset Zone
H1, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21
Habit
Upright/Erect
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
180.00 cm61.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
150.00 cm25.40 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow green
Crimson
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Light Yellow, Yellow green
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Palmate
Oblong
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Vegetative Reproduction
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
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
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove shoots
No pruning needed in the early stages, Prune to stimulate growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove deadheads
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 10-10-10 amount
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Insects
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
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
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Hummingbirds
Allergy
-
Asthma
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Digestive disorders
Burns, Snakebite, Stomach aliments
Part of Plant Used
Fruits
Whole plant
Other Uses
Used in making champagne
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Botanical Name
VASCONCELLEA x heilbornii
PENSTEMON eatonii
Common Name
Babaco, Mountain Papaya
Firecracker Penstemon
In Hindi
Babaco
Firecracker penstemon
In German
Babaco
Kracher penstemon
In French
Babaco
Firecracker penstemon
In Spanish
Babaco
Penstemon del petardo
In Greek
Babaco
πυροτέχνημα penstemon
In Portuguese
Babaco
Penstemon do foguete
In Polish
Babaco
petarda penstemon
In Latin
Babaco
Firecracker Persicaria
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
-
Class
Magnoliopsida
-
Order
Brassicales
Lamiales
Family
Caricaceae
Scrophulariaceae
Genus
Vasconcellea
Penstemon
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
1250
1
27800
👆🏻