Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Cactus
Flowering Plants
Origin
Central America, South America, Brazil
Southwestern United States, California
Types
Columnar Cacti
-
Number of Varieties
5040
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Desert, Temperate Regions
Dry areas, meadows
USDA Hardiness Zone
12-154-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
9-1
Sunset Zone
12, 13, 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
60.00 cm61.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.00 cm25.40 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Orange, Salmon
Crimson
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
-
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
-
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Succulent
Oblong
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
-
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, 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?
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Reduce watering in winter
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, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
No pruning needed in the early stages, Prune to stimulate growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove deadheads
Fertilizers
Fertilize the soil before planting, slow-release fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 10-10-10 amount
Pests and Diseases
Bacterial Stem Rot, fungus, Mealybugs, Spider mites
Insects
Plant Tolerance
Drought
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
Bold
Medium
Foliage Sheen
-
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Hummingbirds
Hummingbirds
Allergy
-
Asthma
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes, Wild gardens
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Burns, Snakebite, Stomach aliments
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Whole plant
Other Uses
Florist trade and landscaping, Used as Ornamental plant
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall
Container, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Botanical Name
Cleistocactus strausii
PENSTEMON eatonii
Common Name
silver torch or wooly torch
Firecracker Penstemon
In Hindi
Cleistocactus strausii
Firecracker penstemon
In German
Cleistocactus strausii
Kracher penstemon
In French
Cleistocactus strausii
Firecracker penstemon
In Spanish
Cleistocactus strausii
Penstemon del petardo
In Greek
cleistocactus strausii
πυροτέχνημα penstemon
In Portuguese
Cleistocactus strausii
Penstemon do foguete
In Polish
cleistocastus strausii
petarda penstemon
In Latin
Cleistocactus strausii
Firecracker Persicaria
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
-
Class
Magnoliopsida
-
Order
Caryophyllales
Lamiales
Family
Cactaceae
Scrophulariaceae
Genus
Cleistocactus
Penstemon
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Trichocereeae
-
Subfamily
Cactoideae
-
Number of Species
20250
1
27800
👆🏻