Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Perennial
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Mexico, Central America, South America
Types
Crossandra, Firecracker Plant
Dysphania ambrosioides (L.) Mosyakin & Clemants
Habitat
gardens, Homesteads, Urban areas
shrublands, tropical grasslands
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-15
-9999
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 24
H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Upright/Erect
Flower Color
Orange, Light Yellow, Peach, Orange Red
Green
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green, Light Green, Tan
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
Light Green
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Lanceolate
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Form a Soil ring to water efficiently, Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water more in summer
Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
No pruning needed in the early stages, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove deadheads
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Insects
Pest Free
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fragrant Bark/Stem
No
Yes
Foliage Texture
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Attracts
Hummingbirds, Butterflies
Bees, Flies
Allergy
-
allergic reaction, Skin irritation
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Showy Purposes
-
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Cold, Cough, Wounds
Detoxification, Insect Bites, Stomach pain, Treat Parasitic Intestinal Worms
Part of Plant Used
Flowers
Leaves, Seeds
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Pesticide, The essential oil is used as insect repellent
Used As Indoor Plant
Yes
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Feature Plant, Hedges, Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Herb / Vegetable
Botanical Name
CROSSANDRA infundibuliformis
CHENOPODIUM ambrosioides
Common Name
Firecracker Flower
Mexican Tea
In Hindi
आबोली
Dysphania ambrosioides
In German
Kracher-Blume
Mexikanischer Drüsengänsefuß
In French
Firecracker fleur
Épazote
In Spanish
flor petardo
Dysphania ambrosioides
In Greek
πυροτέχνημα λουλούδι
Μεξικού τσάι
In Portuguese
flor foguete
Dysphania ambrosioides
In Polish
petarda kwiat
Komosa piżmowa
In Latin
flos Firecracker
Dysphania ambrosioides
Order
Lamiales
Caryophyllales
Family
Acanthaceae
Chenopodiaceae
Genus
Crossandra
Dysphania
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Subfamily
Brodiaeoideae
Chenopodioideae
Importance of Firecracker Flower and Mexican Tea
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Firecracker Flower and Mexican Tea. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Firecracker Flower and Mexican Tea as they differ in many characteristics such as their life, care, benefits, facts, etc. Every gardener must at least have the slightest clue about the plants he wants to plant in his garden. Compare their benefits, which differ in many ways like facts and uses. The medicinal use of Firecracker Flower is Cold, Cough and Wounds whereas of Mexican Tea is Detoxification, Insect Bites, Stomach pain and Treat Parasitic Intestinal Worms. Firecracker Flower has beauty benefits as follows: while Mexican Tea has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Firecracker Flower vs Mexican Tea
How to choose the best garden plant for your garden depending upon its facts? Here garden plant comparison will help you to solve this query. Compare the facts of Firecracker Flower vs Mexican Tea and know which one to choose. As garden plants have benefits and other uses, allergy is also a major drawback of plants for some people. Allergic reactions of Firecracker Flower are whereas of Mexican Tea have allergic reaction and Skin irritation respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Firecracker Flower has no showy fruits and Mexican Tea has no showy fruits. Also Firecracker Flower is not flowering and Mexican Tea is not flowering . You can compare Firecracker Flower and Mexican Tea facts and facts of other plants too.