Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Flowering Plants
Origin
North America, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean, Caribbean, Central America, South America
Southwestern United States, California
Types
Cryptanthus 'Absolute Zero'
Cryptanthus 'Agate'
Cryptanthus 'Alberta'
Cryptanthus 'Alpine Frost'
-
Number of Varieties
48040
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Lowland evergreen rainforest, Rainforest, Shaded sites, Wild
Dry areas, meadows
USDA Hardiness Zone
-99994-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
9-1
Sunset Zone
-
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21
Habit
-
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
20.00 cm61.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
15.00 cm25.40 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Crimson
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
-
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
-
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Linear
Oblong
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
-
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
-
Fast
Type of Soil
-
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
-
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
-
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Leaf Cutting, Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do not water excessively, Keep the Soil well drained
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
-
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
-
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
-
Well drained
Sun Exposure
-
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Pinch or prune as they grow to promote branching and bushiness, Pinching, 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
Does not require fertilizer once established
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 10-10-10 amount
Pests and Diseases
Pests and diseases free, Red blotch
Insects
Plant Tolerance
Variety of soil types
Drought
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
-
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Ladybug beetles, Mealybugs, Scale Insects
Hummingbirds
Allergy
-
Asthma
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Borders, Decorating walls, Ground Cover
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
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant, useful as a ground cover
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
-
Container, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Botanical Name
CRYPTANTHUS
PENSTEMON eatonii
Common Name
Cryptanthus, Earth Star
Firecracker Penstemon
In Hindi
Earth Star
Firecracker penstemon
In German
Erdstern
Kracher penstemon
In French
Terre étoile
Firecracker penstemon
In Spanish
estrella de la tierra
Penstemon del petardo
In Greek
γη αστεριών
πυροτέχνημα penstemon
In Portuguese
Estrela da terra
Penstemon do foguete
In Polish
Gwiazda ziemi
petarda penstemon
In Latin
terra, stella
Firecracker Persicaria
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
-
Class
Liliopsida
-
Order
Bromeliales
Lamiales
Family
Bromeliaceae
Scrophulariaceae
Genus
Cryptanthus
Penstemon
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Bromelioideae
-
Number of Species
50250
1
27800
👆🏻