Life Span
Annual or Biennial
Perennial
Type
Vegetable
Flowering Plants
Origin
Mexico, Central America
Southwestern United States, California
Types
Mexican potato,Mexican yam bean
-
Number of Varieties
-40
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
agricultural areas, Moist Soils, Wet ground
Dry areas, meadows
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-154-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-8
9-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21
Habit
Vining/Climbing
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
300.00 cm61.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
50.00 cm25.40 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Lavender
Crimson
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Tan
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Heart-shaped
Oblong
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Dry soil, Shallow soil
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
From bulbs
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist
Do Not over Water, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water when soil is dry
In Summer
Average Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Moderate
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
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
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
No pruning needed in the early stages, Prune to stimulate growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove deadheads
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 10-10-10 amount
Pests and Diseases
Beetles, Leaf spot, Red blotch
Insects
Plant Tolerance
Shade areas, Shallow soil
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
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies, Mice
Hummingbirds
Allergy
Irritation to stomach, Itchiness
Asthma
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Improve skin tone
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for animals, Soil protection
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Cold, Fever, Inflammation
Burns, Snakebite, Stomach aliments
Part of Plant Used
Bulbs, Root
Whole plant
Other Uses
Used As Food
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Container, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Botanical Name
PACHYRHIZUS erosus
PENSTEMON eatonii
Common Name
Mexican Yam bean
Firecracker Penstemon
In Hindi
Pachyrhizus erosus
Firecracker penstemon
In German
Yambohne
Kracher penstemon
In French
Kłębian kątowaty
Firecracker penstemon
In Spanish
Pachyrhizus erosus
Penstemon del petardo
In Greek
Pachyrhizus erosus
πυροτέχνημα penstemon
In Portuguese
Pachyrhizus erosus
Penstemon do foguete
In Polish
Pachyrhizus erosus
petarda penstemon
In Latin
Pachyrhizus erosus
Firecracker Persicaria
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Angiosperms
-
Class
Eudicotyledones
-
Order
Fabales
Lamiales
Family
Fabaceae
Scrophulariaceae
Genus
Pachyrhizus
Penstemon
Clade
Angiosperms
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
100250
1
27800
👆🏻