Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Flowering Plants
Tree
Origin
Southwestern United States, California
Eastern Africa, Middle Africa
Types
-
Kigelia africana
Number of Varieties
409
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dry areas, meadows
Riverine forest, wooded grassland
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-99-12
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
H1, H2, 12, 13, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Arching/Fountain-shaped
Plant Size
Minimum Height
61.00 cm1,220.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.40 cm910.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Crimson
Dark Red, Tan
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Tan
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
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oblong
Pinnate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
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
Needs a lot of water initially
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, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full 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
Balanced liquid fertilizer monthly
Pests and Diseases
Insects
Leaf spot, Mealybugs, Rust
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Hummingbirds
Bees, Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
Asthma
Poisonous when unripe
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Acne, Slow downs aging
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Burns, Snakebite, Stomach aliments
Gynaecological, Malaria, STDs
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Dried seeds, Leaves
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Used to flavour beer, Used to produce a red dye
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
PENSTEMON eatonii
KIGELIA africana
Common Name
Firecracker Penstemon
Sausage Tree
In Hindi
Firecracker penstemon
Sausage Tree
In German
Kracher penstemon
Sausage Tree
In French
Firecracker penstemon
saucisse Arbre
In Spanish
Penstemon del petardo
Árbol de salchicha
In Greek
πυροτέχνημα penstemon
λουκάνικο δέντρο
In Portuguese
Penstemon do foguete
Árvore de salsicha
In Polish
petarda penstemon
kiełbasa Drzewo
In Latin
Firecracker Persicaria
farciminis ligno
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Lamiales
Family
Scrophulariaceae
Bignoniaceae
Genus
Penstemon
Kaempferia
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Tecomeae
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
2509
1
27800
👆🏻