Life Span
Perennial
  
Perennial
  
Type
Flowering Plants
  
Cactus or Succulent
  
Origin
Southwestern United States, California
  
North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, Central America, South America
  
Types
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Habitat
Dry areas, meadows
  
Coastal Mountains, Humid climates
  
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-9
  
Not Available
  
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
  
12-1
  
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21
  
Not Available
  
Habit
Clump-Forming
  
Clump-Forming
  
Plant Size
  
  
Plant Color
  
  
Flower Color
Crimson
  
Purple
  
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
  
Not Available
  
Fruit Color
Not Available
  
Pink
  
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
  
Green, Dark Green
  
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
  
Green, Dark Green
  
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
  
Green, Dark Green
  
Leaf Color in Winter
Not Available
  
Green, Dark Green
  
Shape
  
  
Leaf Shape
Oblong
  
Toothed
  
Thorns
No
  
No
  
Plant Season
Summer
  
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
  
Growing Conditions
  
  
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial 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
  
Not Available
  
Repeat Bloomer
No
  
No
  
Tolerances
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Where to Plant?
Ground
  
Container, Ground, Pot
  
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
  
Stem Planting, Transplanting
  
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, Do Not over Water, Never Over-water
  
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
  
Partial Sun, Partial shade
  
Pruning
No pruning needed in the early stages, Prune to stimulate growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove deadheads
  
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Requires little pruning
  
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
  
Showy
  
Flower Petal Number
Single
  
Not Available
  
Fruits
  
  
Showy Fruit
No
  
No
  
Edible Fruit
No
  
No
  
Fragrance
  
  
Fragrant Flower
No
  
Yes
  
Fragrant Fruit
No
  
Yes
  
Fragrant Leaf
No
  
No
  
Fragrant Bark/Stem
No
  
No
  
Showy Foliage
No
  
No
  
Showy Bark
No
  
No
  
Foliage Texture
Medium
  
Bold
  
Foliage Sheen
Matte
  
Glossy
  
Evergreen
No
  
No
  
Invasive
No
  
No
  
Self-Sowing
No
  
No
  
Attracts
Hummingbirds
  
Not Available
  
Allergy
Asthma
  
Eye irritation, sneezing
  
Uses
  
  
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
  
Beautification, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
  
Beauty Benefits
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Edible Uses
No
  
No
  
Environmental Uses
Air purification
  
Air purification
  
Plant Benefits
  
  
Medicinal Uses
Burns, Snakebite, Stomach aliments
  
Not Available
  
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
  
Leaves
  
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
  
Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used as Christmas Tree, Used as Ornamental plant
  
Used As Indoor Plant
No
  
Yes
  
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Garden Design
Container, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
  
Container, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall
  
Botanical Name
PENSTEMON eatonii
  
SCHLUMBERGERA x buckleyi
  
Common Name
Firecracker Penstemon
  
Thanksgiving Cactus, Crab Cactus
  
In Hindi
Firecracker penstemon
  
क्रिसमस कैक्टस
  
In German
Kracher penstemon
  
Weihnachtskaktus
  
In French
Firecracker penstemon
  
Cactus de Noël
  
In Spanish
Penstemon del petardo
  
Cactus de Navidad
  
In Greek
πυροτέχνημα penstemon
  
Χριστούγεννα Cactus
  
In Portuguese
Penstemon do foguete
  
Cacto de Natal
  
In Polish
petarda penstemon
  
Christmas Cactus
  
In Latin
Firecracker Persicaria
  
Nativitatis Cactus
  
Kingdom
Plantae
  
Plantae
  
Phylum
Not Available
  
Magnoliophyta
  
Class
Not Available
  
Magnoliopsida
  
Order
Lamiales
  
Caryophyllales
  
Family
Scrophulariaceae
  
Cactaceae
  
Genus
Penstemon
  
Schlumbergera
  
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
  
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
  
Tribe
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Subfamily
Not Available
  
Cactoideae
  
Number of Species
Not Available
  
Not Available