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Compare Firecracker Penstemon and Balloon Flower


Balloon Flower and Firecracker Penstemon


What is

Life Span
Perennial  
Perennial  

Type
Flowering Plants  
Flowering Plants, Herbs, Perennial  

Origin
Southwestern United States, California  
China, Eastern Asia, Japan  

Types
-  
Platycodon grandiflorus Astra series, Platycodon grandiflorus Fuji series, Platycodon grandiflorus 'Komachi', Platycodon grandiflorus 'Sentimental Blue'  

Number of Varieties
40  
99+
13  
99+

Habitat
Dry areas, meadows  
Grassland, Hillside  

USDA Hardiness Zone
4-9  
3-8  

AHS Heat Zone
9-1  
8-3  

Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21  
A1, A2, A3, 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
Clump-Forming  
Clump-Forming  

Information

Plant Size
  
  

Minimum Height
61.00 cm  
99+
15.20 cm  
99+

Minimum Width
25.40 cm  
99+
20.30 cm  
99+

Plant Color
  
  

Flower Color
Crimson  
White, Blue, Pink  

Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor  
-  

Fruit Color
-  
-  

Leaf Color in Spring
Green  
Green, Sea Green  

Leaf Color in Summer
Green  
Green, Sea Green  

Leaf Color in Fall
Green  
Green, Sea Green  

Leaf Color in Winter
-  
Light Green  

Shape
  
  

Leaf Shape
Oblong  
Cushion  

Thorns
No  
No  

Season

Plant Season
Summer  
Summer, Fall  

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
Neutral, Alkaline  
Acidic  

Soil Drainage
Well drained  
Well drained  

Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer  
Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall  

Repeat Bloomer
No  
Yes  

Tolerances
-  
Drought  

Care

Where to Plant?
Ground  
Container, Ground, Pot  

How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting  
Divison, Seedlings, Seperation  

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  
Average Water Needs  

In Summer
Lots of watering  
Lots of watering  

In Spring
Moderate  
Moderate  

In Winter
Average Water  
Average Water  

Soil
  
  

Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline  
Neutral  

Soil Type
Loam, Sand  
Loam, Sand  

Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained  
Well drained  

Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun  
Full Sun, Partial Sun  

Pruning
No pruning needed in the early stages, Prune to stimulate growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove deadheads  
Prune in spring, Prune in summer, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts  

Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 10-10-10 amount  
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer  

Pests and Diseases
Insects  
Slugs, Snails  

Plant Tolerance
Drought  
Drought  

Facts

Flowers
Showy  
Showy  

Flower Petal Number
Single  
Single  

Fruits
  
  

Showy Fruit
No  
No  

Edible Fruit
No  
No  

Fragrance
  
  

Fragrant Flower
No  
Yes  

Fragrant Fruit
No  
No  

Fragrant Leaf
No  
No  

Fragrant Bark/Stem
No  
No  

Showy Foliage
No  
No  

Showy Bark
No  
No  

Foliage Texture
Medium  
Medium  

Foliage Sheen
Matte  
Matte  

Evergreen
No  
No  

Invasive
No  
No  

Self-Sowing
No  
No  

Attracts
Hummingbirds  
Birds  

Allergy
Asthma  
Asthma, Skin rash  

Benefits

Uses
  
  

Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes  
Beautification, Showy Purposes  

Beauty Benefits
-  
-  

Edible Uses
No  
Yes  

Environmental Uses
Air purification  
Air purification  

Plant Benefits
  
  

Medicinal Uses
Burns, Snakebite, Stomach aliments  
anti-allergy, Antibacterial, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, Asthma, Bronchitis, chest congestion, Cold, Cough, Diabetes, improved insulin resistance, Sore throat, Tonsillitis, tuberculosis  

Part of Plant Used
Whole plant  
Whole plant  

Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant  
Used As Food  

Used As Indoor Plant
No  
No  

Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes  
Yes  

Garden Design
Container, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower  
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border  

Scientific Name

Botanical Name
PENSTEMON eatonii  
PLATYCODON grandiflorus( Apoyama Group)  

Common Name
Firecracker Penstemon  
Balloon Flower  

In Hindi
Firecracker penstemon  
Balloon flower  

In German
Kracher penstemon  
Ballonblume  

In French
Firecracker penstemon  
balloon Flower  

In Spanish
Penstemon del petardo  
globo de planta de flor  

In Greek
πυροτέχνημα penstemon  
μπαλόνι εργοστάσιο λουλούδι  

In Portuguese
Penstemon do foguete  
Balão flor planta  

In Polish
petarda penstemon  
Balon kwiat roślin  

In Latin
Firecracker Persicaria  
balloon flos plant  

Classification

Kingdom
Plantae  
Plantae  

Phylum
-  
Embryophyta  

Class
-  
Dicotyledonae  

Order
Lamiales  
Asterales  

Family
Scrophulariaceae  
Campanulaceae  

Genus
Penstemon  
Platycodon  

Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots  
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots  

Tribe
-  
-  

Subfamily
-  
-  

Number of Species
250  
99+
50  

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Difference Between Firecracker Penstemon and Balloon Flower

If you are confused whether Firecracker Penstemon or Balloon Flower are same, here are some features about those plants to help you choose better. Many people think that these two plants have the same characteristics, but one can see Firecracker Penstemon and Balloon Flower Information and learn more about it. Fertilizers required for proper growth of Firecracker Penstemon are All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer and Apply 10-10-10 amount, whereas for Balloon Flower fertilizers required are All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer. Hence, one should know the basic difference between Firecracker Penstemon and Balloon Flower if you are planning to have them in your garden to enhance its beauty.

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Importance of Firecracker Penstemon and Balloon Flower

Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Firecracker Penstemon and Balloon Flower. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Firecracker Penstemon and Balloon Flower 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 Penstemon is Burns, Snakebite and Stomach aliments whereas of Balloon Flower is anti-allergy, Antibacterial, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, Asthma, Bronchitis, chest congestion, Cold, Cough, Diabetes, improved insulin resistance, Sore throat, Tonsillitis and tuberculosis. Firecracker Penstemon has beauty benefits as follows: while Balloon Flower has beauty benefits as follows: .

Compare Facts of Firecracker Penstemon vs Balloon Flower

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 Penstemon vs Balloon Flower 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 Penstemon are Asthma whereas of Balloon Flower have Asthma and Skin rash respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Firecracker Penstemon has no showy fruits and Balloon Flower has no showy fruits. Also Firecracker Penstemon is not flowering and Balloon Flower is not flowering . You can compare Firecracker Penstemon and Balloon Flower facts and facts of other plants too.

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