Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Flowering Plants
Shrub
Origin
Southwestern United States, California
North America, United States, Northeastern United States, Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, North-Central United States, Central United States, Canada
Types
-
Cornus racemosa
Number of Varieties
402
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dry areas, meadows
Dappled Shade, Hedge, hedge rows, Shady Edge
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-94-8
0
99
👆🏻
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
7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Thicket/Colonizing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
61.00 cm300.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.40 cm300.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Crimson
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
-
Pale White
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Blue Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Blue Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Burgundy, Dark Red
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oblong
Lance shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
-
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
-
Soil Drainage
Well drained
-
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Late Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Wet Site, Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
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
Medium
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
-
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
-
Soil Drainage Capacity
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 damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
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
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Hummingbirds
Birds
Allergy
Asthma
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Burns, Snakebite, Stomach aliments
Astringent, Emetic, Febrifuge
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
extracted oil, Fruits
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Charcoal, Used as a dye, Used to make baskets
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Hedges, Mixed Border, Screening, Wind Break
Botanical Name
PENSTEMON eatonii
CORNUS racemosa
Common Name
Firecracker Penstemon
Dogwood, Bloodtwig dogwood
In Hindi
Firecracker penstemon
Gray Dogwood
In German
Kracher penstemon
Cornus racemosa
In French
Firecracker penstemon
Gray Dogwood
In Spanish
Penstemon del petardo
Cornus racemosa
In Greek
πυροτέχνημα penstemon
Gray Dogwood
In Portuguese
Penstemon do foguete
Gray Dogwood
In Polish
petarda penstemon
Gray Dogwood
In Latin
Firecracker Persicaria
Gray Dogwood
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Cornales
Family
Scrophulariaceae
Cornaceae
Genus
Penstemon
Cornus
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
25017
1
27800
👆🏻