Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Shrub
Flowering Plants
Origin
Southern Africa
Southwestern United States, California
Types
Carissa bispinosa, Carissa carandas
-
Number of Varieties
2040
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Coastal Regions, Tropical regions
Dry areas, meadows
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-114-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
9-1
Sunset Zone
H2, 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
Cushion/Mound-forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
90.00 cm61.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
60.00 cm25.40 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White
Crimson
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Light Red
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Elliptic and Ovate
Oblong
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Slow
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Shade areas
-
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting, Vegetative Reproduction
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Never Over-water, Requires regular watering, Water daily during growing season, Water when top layer of soil becomes dry
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
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
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune to control growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
No pruning needed in the early stages, Prune to stimulate growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove deadheads
Fertilizers
fertilize in growing season, Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 10-10-10 amount
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Red blotch, Scale, Spider mites, Thripes, Whiteflies
Insects
Plant Tolerance
Shade areas
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
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds
Hummingbirds
Allergy
Toxic
Asthma
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Bonsai, Cottage Garden, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for insects, Prevent Soil Erosion
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Burns, Snakebite, Stomach aliments
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Fruits
Whole plant
Other Uses
Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging, Edible, Foundation, Groundcover, Hedges, Topiary, Bonsai, Espalier, Tropical
Container, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Botanical Name
CARISSA macrocarpa
PENSTEMON eatonii
Common Name
Carissia
Firecracker Penstemon
In Hindi
Carissa
Firecracker penstemon
In German
carissa
Kracher penstemon
In French
carissa
Firecracker penstemon
In Spanish
carissa
Penstemon del petardo
In Greek
carissa
πυροτέχνημα penstemon
In Portuguese
carissa
Penstemon do foguete
In Polish
carissa
petarda penstemon
In Latin
carissa
Firecracker Persicaria
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
-
Class
Magnoliopsida
-
Order
Gentianales
Lamiales
Family
Apocynaceae
Scrophulariaceae
Genus
Carissa
Penstemon
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Carisseae
-
Subfamily
Rauvolfioideae
-
Number of Species
100250
1
27800
👆🏻