Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Flowering Plants
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
Southwestern United States, California
North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, Central America, South America
Types
-
Schlumbergera
Number of Varieties
4015
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dry areas, meadows
Coastal Mountains, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-9-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
12-1
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21
7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
61.00 cm45.70 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.40 cm71.10 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Crimson
Purple
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
-
Pink
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oblong
Toothed
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Stem Planting, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do Not over Water, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water when soil is dry
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Never Over-water
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial 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
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Requires little pruning
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
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
-
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Hummingbirds
-
Allergy
Asthma
Eye irritation, sneezing
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification, Landscape Designing, 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
Leaves
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used as Christmas Tree, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Container, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
PENSTEMON eatonii
SCHLUMBERGERA x buckleyi
Common Name
Firecracker Penstemon
Thanksgiving Cactus, Crab Cactus
In Hindi
Firecracker penstemon
क्रिसमस कैक्टस
In German
Kracher penstemon
Weihnachtskaktus
In French
Firecracker penstemon
Cactus de Noël
In Spanish
Penstemon del petardo
Cactus de Navidad
In Greek
πυροτέχνημα penstemon
Χριστούγεννα Cactus
In Portuguese
Penstemon do foguete
Cacto de Natal
In Polish
petarda penstemon
Christmas Cactus
In Latin
Firecracker Persicaria
Nativitatis Cactus
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Caryophyllales
Family
Scrophulariaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Penstemon
Schlumbergera
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Cactoideae
Number of Species
2506
1
27800
👆🏻