Life Span
Perennial
  
Perennial
  
Type
Broadleaf Evergreen
  
Flowering Plants
  
Origin
Southeastern Asia, China, Japan, Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia, Australia
  
Southwestern United States, California
  
Types
Cerbera laeta, Cerbera floribunda, Cerbera odollam
  
Not Available
  
Number of Varieties
Not Available
  
Habitat
Deciduous forests, Tropical regions
  
Dry areas, meadows
  
USDA Hardiness Zone
Not Available
  
4-9
  
AHS Heat Zone
Not Available
  
9-1
  
Sunset Zone
21,22
  
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21
  
Habit
Not Available
  
Clump-Forming
  
Plant Size
  
  
Minimum Height
Not Available
  
Minimum Width
Not Available
  
Plant Color
  
  
Flower Color
White, Ivory
  
Crimson
  
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
  
Bicolor
  
Fruit Color
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
  
Green
  
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
  
Green
  
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
  
Green
  
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
  
Not Available
  
Shape
  
  
Leaf Shape
Lanceolate
  
Oblong
  
Thorns
No
  
No
  
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
  
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, Alkaline
  
Neutral, Alkaline
  
Soil Drainage
Not Available
  
Well drained
  
Bloom Time
Not Available
  
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
  
Repeat Bloomer
Yes
  
No
  
Tolerances
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
  
Ground
  
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
  
Seedlings, Stem Planting
  
Plant Maintenance
Medium
  
Medium
  
Watering Plants
  
  
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Medium, Requires regular watering
  
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, Alkaline
  
Neutral, Alkaline
  
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
  
Loam, Sand
  
Soil Drainage Capacity
Not Available
  
Well drained
  
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
  
Full Sun, Partial Sun
  
Pruning
Prune in late winter, Prune in spring, Remove damaged leaves, 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, fertilize in spring, Phosphorous, Requires high amount of nitrogen
  
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 10-10-10 amount
  
Pests and Diseases
Caterpillars, Insects
  
Insects
  
Plant Tolerance
Drought
  
Drought
  
Flowers
Showy
  
Showy
  
Flower Petal Number
Single
  
Single
  
Fruits
  
  
Showy Fruit
Yes
  
No
  
Edible Fruit
No
  
No
  
Fragrance
  
  
Fragrant Flower
Yes
  
No
  
Fragrant Fruit
No
  
No
  
Fragrant Leaf
No
  
No
  
Fragrant Bark/Stem
No
  
No
  
Showy Foliage
No
  
No
  
Showy Bark
No
  
No
  
Foliage Texture
Coarse
  
Medium
  
Foliage Sheen
Not Available
  
Matte
  
Evergreen
No
  
No
  
Invasive
No
  
No
  
Self-Sowing
Not Available
  
No
  
Attracts
Bees, Butterflies
  
Hummingbirds
  
Allergy
Toxic
  
Asthma
  
Uses
  
  
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes, Used for decorating walls, fences, gates, hedges, etc.
  
Showy Purposes
  
Beauty Benefits
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Edible Uses
No
  
No
  
Environmental Uses
Food for insects
  
Air purification
  
Plant Benefits
  
  
Medicinal Uses
No Medicinal Use
  
Burns, Snakebite, Stomach aliments
  
Part of Plant Used
Flowers
  
Whole plant
  
Other Uses
Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes
  
Used as Ornamental plant
  
Used As Indoor Plant
Yes
  
No
  
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Garden Design
Container, Hedges, Screening, Wind Break, Shade Trees, Tropical
  
Container, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
  
Botanical Name
CERBERA
  
PENSTEMON eatonii
  
Common Name
Cerbera
  
Firecracker Penstemon
  
In Hindi
Cerbera
  
Firecracker penstemon
  
In German
Cerbera
  
Kracher penstemon
  
In French
Cerbera
  
Firecracker penstemon
  
In Spanish
Cerbera
  
Penstemon del petardo
  
In Greek
Cerbera
  
πυροτέχνημα penstemon
  
In Portuguese
Cerbera
  
Penstemon do foguete
  
In Polish
Cerbera
  
petarda penstemon
  
In Latin
Cerbera
  
Firecracker Persicaria
  
Kingdom
Plantae
  
Plantae
  
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
  
Not Available
  
Class
Magnoliopsida
  
Not Available
  
Order
Gentianales
  
Lamiales
  
Family
Apocynaceae
  
Scrophulariaceae
  
Genus
Cerbera
  
Penstemon
  
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
  
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
  
Tribe
Plumerieae
  
Not Available
  
Subfamily
Rauvolfioideae
  
Not Available
  
Number of Species
Not Available