Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Annual and Perennial
Type
Shrub
Flowering Plants, Shrubs
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
World/Pandemic, North America, Europe, Russia/Siberia, China, Korea
Types
Crossandra, Firecracker Plant
Bigleaf hydrangea, Hortensia, Smooth hydrangea, Oakleaf hydrangea, Annabelle
Number of Varieties
50100
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens, Homesteads, Urban areas
Forest edges, Hillside, Woods
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-152-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
10-9
7 - 1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 24
7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
40.60 cm30.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.40 cm30.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Orange, Light Yellow, Peach, Orange Red
Blue, Sky Blue, Indigo, Dark Blue
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Brown, Sandy Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Sea Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Sea Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Sea Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Oblovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Form a Soil ring to water efficiently, Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water more in summer
Keep ground moist, Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Slightly Acidic
Soil Type
Loam
Loamy
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Loamy
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
No pruning needed in the early stages, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove deadheads
Prune to control growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Compost
Pests and Diseases
Insects
Bacterial leaf spot, Botrytis Blight, Leafminers, Mealybugs, Mushroom root rot
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
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Hummingbirds, Butterflies
Butterflies
Allergy
-
Chest tightness, Diarrhea, Dizziness, Nausea, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Showy Purposes
Beautification, Bouquets, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Food for insects, Indoor Air Purification, Prevent Soil Erosion, Very little waste
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Cold, Cough, Wounds
Fever, Kidney problems, Urinary tract problems
Part of Plant Used
Flowers
Flowers, Root
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Can be made into a herbal tea, Decoration Purposes, Employed in herbal medicine, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Feature Plant, Hedges, Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Herb
Botanical Name
CROSSANDRA infundibuliformis
CENTAUREA cyanus
Common Name
Firecracker Flower
Batchelor's Buttons, Cornflower
In Hindi
आबोली
Hydrangea
In German
Kracher-Blume
Hortensie
In French
Firecracker fleur
Hortensia
In Spanish
flor petardo
Hortensia
In Greek
πυροτέχνημα λουλούδι
υδραγεία
In Portuguese
flor foguete
Hortênsia
In Polish
petarda kwiat
Hortensja
In Latin
flos Firecracker
Hibiscus
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Anthophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Asterales
Family
Acanthaceae
Asteraceae
Genus
Crossandra
Centaurea
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Cynareae
Subfamily
Brodiaeoideae
Carduoideae
Number of Species
5250
1
27800
👆🏻