Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Annual
Type
Shrub
Vegetable
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Central America, Mexico, North America
Types
Crossandra, Firecracker Plant
Neck, Really Big Hybrid, Waltham
Number of Varieties
505
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens, Homesteads, Urban areas
Cultivated Beds
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-159-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
10-9
12-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 24
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Prostrate/Trailing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
40.60 cm7.62 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.40 cm50.80 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Orange, Light Yellow, Peach, Orange Red
Yellow, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Peach, Tan
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Summer, 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
Prefer drip-irrigation instead of Over-head watering, Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
No pruning needed in the early stages, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove deadheads
Cut out old flower stalks, Prune after flowering, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove the old foliage
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Apply 10-10-10 amount, Balanced organic fertilizer, iron-rich fertilizer, Nitrogen, Phosphate
Pests and Diseases
Insects
Bacteria wilt, Bacterial leaf spot, Blight, Cucumber beetles, Cutworms, Dry root rot, Fusarium leaf spot, Soft scales
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Full Sun, Shade areas, Shallow soil
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Hummingbirds, Butterflies
Ants, Bees
Allergy
-
Dermatitis
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Glowing Skin, Good for skin and hair
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Cold, Cough, Wounds
Antiasthamatic, anti-cancer, Cardiovascular problems, cholesterol-lowering, constipation, Diabetes, Fiber, High blood pressure, High cholestrol, Immunity, Manganese, Obesity, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E
Part of Plant Used
Flowers
Flowers, Fruits, Leaves, Seeds
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
For making oil, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Feature Plant, Hedges, Mixed Border, Tropical
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
CROSSANDRA infundibuliformis
CUCURBITA pepo 'White Crown of Thorns'
Common Name
Firecracker Flower
Winter Squash
In Hindi
आबोली
कोंहड़ा
In German
Kracher-Blume
Winter squash
In French
Firecracker fleur
courges d'hiver
In Spanish
flor petardo
calabaza de invierno
In Greek
πυροτέχνημα λουλούδι
σκουός χειμώνα
In Portuguese
flor foguete
abóbora
In Polish
petarda kwiat
dynia
In Latin
flos Firecracker
cucurbita
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Violales
Family
Acanthaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Crossandra
Cucurbita
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Brodiaeoideae
Papilionoideae
Number of Species
527
1
27800
👆🏻