Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Flowering Plants
Tree
Origin
Southwestern United States, California
Southeastern Asia, India, China
Types
-
Tropical Fruit Tree
Number of Varieties
4010
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dry areas, meadows
Subtropical forests, Tropical Forests
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-910-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
12-9
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21
H1, H2, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Spreading
Plant Size
Minimum Height
61.00 cm1,220.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.40 cm1,370.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Crimson
Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green, Yellow green, Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oblong
Oblong or Lanceolate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Cuttings, Seedlings
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
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
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
Remove dead branches
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 10-10-10 amount
Put diluted fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Insects
Chlorosis, Susceptible to insect pests and moulds
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
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
Matte
Glossy
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
Antibacterial, Antidiabetic, Antifungal, antimicrobial, Astringent, Expectorant
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Bark, Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Jam, Jelly, used in Indian cuisine in curries
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Edible, Feature Plant, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Shade Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
PENSTEMON eatonii
DILLENIA indica
Common Name
Firecracker Penstemon
Chulta, Elephant Apple
In Hindi
Firecracker penstemon
Elephant Apple
In German
Kracher penstemon
Elefant von Apple
In French
Firecracker penstemon
Elephant d'Apple
In Spanish
Penstemon del petardo
El elefante de Apple
In Greek
πυροτέχνημα penstemon
ελέφαντας της Apple
In Portuguese
Penstemon do foguete
Elefante da Apple
In Polish
petarda penstemon
Słoń Jabłko
In Latin
Firecracker Persicaria
Elephant Apple
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Dilleniales
Family
Scrophulariaceae
Dilleniaceae
Genus
Penstemon
Dillenia
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
2501
1
27800
👆🏻