Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Flowering Plants
Shrub
Origin
Southwestern United States, California
Southern Africa
Types
-
Carissa Carandas
Number of Varieties
404
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dry areas, meadows
Coastal bush land, Sandy areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-99-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
12-9
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21
H2, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Cushion/Mound-forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
61.00 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.40 cm60.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Crimson
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
-
Hot Pink, Magenta, Purple, Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oblong
Oval to roundish
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Slow
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
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Seedlings
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
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
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
No pruning needed in the early stages, Prune to stimulate growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove deadheads
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 10-10-10 amount
Equal amount of N,P,K
Pests and Diseases
Insects
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
Drought
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Hummingbirds
Birds
Allergy
Asthma
Mildly Toxic
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
along a porch, deck or patio, Ground Cover, small hedge
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Burns, Snakebite, Stomach aliments
Iron, Potassium, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Fruits
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Cake, Jam, Jelly, Sauces
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging, Edible, Foundation, Groundcover, Hedges, Topiary, Bonsai, Espalier, Tropical
Botanical Name
PENSTEMON eatonii
CARISSA macrocarpa 'Emerald Blanket'
Common Name
Firecracker Penstemon
Large Num-Num
In Hindi
Firecracker penstemon
नेटाल बेर
In German
Kracher penstemon
Natal Plum
In French
Firecracker penstemon
natal Plum
In Spanish
Penstemon del petardo
Ciruela Natal
In Greek
πυροτέχνημα penstemon
Natal Plum
In Portuguese
Penstemon do foguete
Natal Plum
In Polish
petarda penstemon
Natal Plum
In Latin
Firecracker Persicaria
Natal Plum
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Gentianales
Family
Scrophulariaceae
Apocynaceae
Genus
Penstemon
Carissa
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Carisseae
Subfamily
-
Rauvolfioideae
Number of Species
25020
1
27800
👆🏻