Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Flowering Plants
Vegetable
Origin
Southwestern United States, California
Central America, Mexico
Types
-
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Habitat
Dry areas, meadows
Floodplains, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-9
7-8
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21
A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Vining/Climbing
Flower Color
Crimson
Yellow, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Leaf Shape
Oblong
Heart-shaped
Plant Season
Summer
Summer, Fall
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Do Not over Water, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water when soil is dry
Keep ground moist, Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
No pruning needed in the early stages, Prune to stimulate growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove deadheads
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 10-10-10 amount
Compost, organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Insects
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Cold climate
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Attracts
Hummingbirds
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
Asthma
Throat itching, Vomiting
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for animals, Food for birds
Medicinal Uses
Burns, Snakebite, Stomach aliments
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
No
Yes
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
PENSTEMON eatonii
MELOTHRIA scabra
Common Name
Firecracker Penstemon
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
In Hindi
Firecracker penstemon
Mousemelon
In German
Kracher penstemon
Maus Melone
In French
Firecracker penstemon
Mousemelon
In Spanish
Penstemon del petardo
Mousemelon
In Greek
πυροτέχνημα penstemon
πεπόνι ποντίκι
In Portuguese
Penstemon do foguete
melão rato
In Polish
petarda penstemon
mysz melona
In Latin
Firecracker Persicaria
mouse melon
Order
Lamiales
Cucurbitales
Family
Scrophulariaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Subfamily
-
Cucurbitoideae
Season and Care of Firecracker Penstemon and Mouse Melon
Season and care of Firecracker Penstemon and Mouse Melon is important to know. While considering everything about Firecracker Penstemon and Mouse Melon Care, growing season is an essential factor. Firecracker Penstemon season is Summer and Mouse Melon season is Summer. The type of soil for Firecracker Penstemon is Loam, Sand and for Mouse Melon is Loam while the PH of soil for Firecracker Penstemon is Neutral, Alkaline and for Mouse Melon is Neutral.
Firecracker Penstemon and Mouse Melon Physical Information
Firecracker Penstemon and Mouse Melon physical information is very important for comparison. Firecracker Penstemon height is 61.00 cm and width 25.40 cm whereas Mouse Melon height is 15.20 cm and width 180.00 cm. The color specification of Firecracker Penstemon and Mouse Melon are as follows:
Firecracker Penstemon flower color: Crimson
Firecracker Penstemon leaf color: Green
Mouse Melon flower color: Yellow and Gold
- Mouse Melon leaf color: Light Green
Care of Firecracker Penstemon and Mouse Melon
Care of Firecracker Penstemon and Mouse Melon 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 Mouse Melon pruning is done Prune after flowering and Remove shoots. In summer Firecracker Penstemon needs Lots of watering and in winter, it needs Average Water. Whereas, in summer Mouse Melon needs Lots of watering and in winter, it needs Average Water.