Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Flowering Plants
Shrub
Origin
South-Central United States
Southern Africa
Types
Penstemon digitalis, Penstemon barbatus, Penstemon heterophyllus
Carissa Carandas
Number of Varieties
2004
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Rocky areas
Coastal bush land, Sandy areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-89-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12-9
Sunset Zone
No Available
H2, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Cushion/Mound-forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.50 cm60.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Purple
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
Long linear and narrow
Oval to roundish
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
-
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Slow
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
From bulbs
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires watering in the growing season
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
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Equal amount of N,P,K
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
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, Butterflies
Birds
Allergy
-
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
-
Iron, Potassium, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Fruits
Other Uses
Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant
Cake, Jam, Jelly, Sauces
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging, Edible, Foundation, Groundcover, Hedges, Topiary, Bonsai, Espalier, Tropical
Botanical Name
PENSTEMON cobaea
CARISSA macrocarpa 'Emerald Blanket'
Common Name
Beardtongue
Large Num-Num
In Hindi
Beardtongue
नेटाल बेर
In German
Bartfaden
Natal Plum
In French
beardtongue
natal Plum
In Spanish
beardtongue
Ciruela Natal
In Greek
Beardtongue
Natal Plum
In Portuguese
Beardtongue
Natal Plum
In Polish
Beardtongue
Natal Plum
In Latin
ursus lingua
Natal Plum
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Equisetopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Gentianales
Family
Scrophulariaceae
Apocynaceae
Genus
Penstemon
Carissa
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Carisseae
Subfamily
-
Rauvolfioideae
Number of Species
26120
1
27800
👆🏻