Life Span
Perennial
Biennial
Type
Flowering Plants
Palm or Cycad
Origin
Southwestern United States, California
South Africa
Types
-
Alexandria cycad, Encephalartos caffer, Encephalartos concinnus
Habitat
Dry areas, meadows
Riverbanks, Rocky areas, Scrubs
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-9
9-12
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21
H1, H2, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Dark Green
Leaf Shape
Oblong
Pinnate
Plant Season
Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Early Summer, Summer
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Do Not over Water, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water when soil is dry
Needs very little water
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
No pruning needed in the early stages, Prune to stimulate growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove deadheads
Remove crossing or rubbing branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 10-10-10 amount
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Insects
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
Flower Petal Number
Single
-
Foliage Texture
Medium
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Attracts
Hummingbirds
Birds
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Shadow Tree, Windbreak
Medicinal Uses
Burns, Snakebite, Stomach aliments
-
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Leaves, Seeds, Stem
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
PENSTEMON eatonii
ENCEPHALARTOS altensteinii
Common Name
Firecracker Penstemon
Bread Tree, Prickly Cycad
In Hindi
Firecracker penstemon
Bread Tree
In German
Kracher penstemon
Brotbaum
In French
Firecracker penstemon
Bread Arbre
In Spanish
Penstemon del petardo
Árbol del pan
In Greek
πυροτέχνημα penstemon
ψωμί Δέντρο
In Portuguese
Penstemon do foguete
Árvore de pão
In Polish
petarda penstemon
chleb Drzewo
In Latin
Firecracker Persicaria
panis ligno
Family
Scrophulariaceae
Cycadaceae
Genus
Penstemon
Encephalartos
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
-
Season and Care of Firecracker Penstemon and Bread Tree
Season and care of Firecracker Penstemon and Bread Tree is important to know. While considering everything about Firecracker Penstemon and Bread Tree Care, growing season is an essential factor. Firecracker Penstemon season is Summer and Bread Tree season is Summer. The type of soil for Firecracker Penstemon is Loam, Sand and for Bread Tree is Loam, Sand while the PH of soil for Firecracker Penstemon is Neutral, Alkaline and for Bread Tree is Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline.
Firecracker Penstemon and Bread Tree Physical Information
Firecracker Penstemon and Bread Tree physical information is very important for comparison. Firecracker Penstemon height is 61.00 cm and width 25.40 cm whereas Bread Tree height is 290.00 cm and width 240.00 cm. The color specification of Firecracker Penstemon and Bread Tree are as follows:
Care of Firecracker Penstemon and Bread Tree
Care of Firecracker Penstemon and Bread Tree include pruning, fertilizers, watering etc. Firecracker Penstemon pruning is done No pruning needed in the early stages, Prune to stimulate growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves and Remove deadheads and Bread Tree pruning is done Remove crossing or rubbing branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves and Remove dead or diseased plant parts. In summer Firecracker Penstemon needs Lots of watering and in winter, it needs Average Water. Whereas, in summer Bread Tree needs Lots of watering and in winter, it needs Average Water.