Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Shrub
Flowering Plants
Origin
Southwestern United States, Mexico
Southwestern United States, California
Types
Common sotol, Bear Grass, Common Sotol, Desert Spoon
-
Number of Varieties
-40
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Desert, Lower slopes
Dry areas, meadows
USDA Hardiness Zone
12-154-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
9-1
Sunset Zone
10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21
Habit
Rosette/Stemless
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
270.00 cm61.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm25.40 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow
Crimson
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Blue Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Blue Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Blue Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Blue Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Rosette
Oblong
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Slow
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs very little water
Do Not over Water, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water when soil is dry
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full 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
-
Insects
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
Bold
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Hummingbirds
Hummingbirds
Allergy
-
Asthma
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Burns, Snakebite, Stomach aliments
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Whole plant
Other Uses
Paper pulp, Pulp can be used to make rope place mats and other goods
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Dried Flower, Everlasting, Feature Plant, Rock Garden, Wall, Wildflower
Container, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Botanical Name
DASYLIRION texanum
PENSTEMON eatonii
Common Name
Common sotol, Bear Grass, Common Sotol, Desert Spoon
Firecracker Penstemon
In Hindi
sotol
Firecracker penstemon
In German
Dasylirion texanum
Kracher penstemon
In French
sotol
Firecracker penstemon
In Spanish
sotol
Penstemon del petardo
In Greek
sotol
πυροτέχνημα penstemon
In Portuguese
sotol
Penstemon do foguete
In Polish
sotol
petarda penstemon
In Latin
sotol
Firecracker Persicaria
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
-
Class
Liliopsida
-
Order
Liliales
Lamiales
Family
Liliaceae
Scrophulariaceae
Genus
Dasylirion
Penstemon
Clade
Monocots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Nolinoideae
-
Number of Species
300250
1
27800
👆🏻