Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Flowering Plants
Fruit, Shrub
Origin
Southwestern United States, California
South America
Types
-
V. × heilbornii
Number of Varieties
400
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dry areas, meadows
Mediterranean region, Subtropical climates, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-99-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
11-9
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21
H1, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
61.00 cm180.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.40 cm150.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Crimson
Yellow green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green, Light Yellow, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oblong
Palmate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Vegetative Reproduction
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do Not over Water, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water when soil is dry
Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
No pruning needed in the early stages, Prune to stimulate growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove deadheads
Remove shoots
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 10-10-10 amount
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Insects
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
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
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Hummingbirds
-
Allergy
Asthma
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Burns, Snakebite, Stomach aliments
Digestive disorders
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Fruits
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Used in making champagne
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Container, Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
PENSTEMON eatonii
VASCONCELLEA x heilbornii
Common Name
Firecracker Penstemon
Babaco, Mountain Papaya
In Hindi
Firecracker penstemon
Babaco
In German
Kracher penstemon
Babaco
In French
Firecracker penstemon
Babaco
In Spanish
Penstemon del petardo
Babaco
In Greek
πυροτέχνημα penstemon
Babaco
In Portuguese
Penstemon do foguete
Babaco
In Polish
petarda penstemon
Babaco
In Latin
Firecracker Persicaria
Babaco
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Brassicales
Family
Scrophulariaceae
Caricaceae
Genus
Penstemon
Vasconcellea
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
2501
1
27800
👆🏻