Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Flowering Plants
Cactus
Origin
Southwestern United States, California
South America
Types
-
Gymnocalycium alboareolatum , Gymnocalycium amerhauseri , Gymnocalycium andreae
Number of Varieties
4054
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dry areas, meadows
Desert, Semi desert
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-99-12
0
99
👆🏻
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
13,21,22,23,24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
61.00 cm12.50 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.40 cm8.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Crimson
creamy white, Light Pink, Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
-
Pink
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oblong
-
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer
All year
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Part sun, Partial shade, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Sand, Sandy
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Sandy
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
All year
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Dry Conditions, Dry soil, Full Sun, Heat Tolerance
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Offsets
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
Do not water excessively
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
Sandy
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Dry
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Part sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
No pruning needed in the early stages, Prune to stimulate growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove deadheads
-
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 10-10-10 amount
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, can go long without fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Insects
Mealy bugs, Root rot
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Dry soil, Full Sun, Heat Tolerance
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
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Hummingbirds
Ants, Mealybugs
Allergy
Asthma
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification, Cottage Garden, Ornamental use
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Food for animals, Food for birds, Food for insects
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Burns, Snakebite, Stomach aliments
-
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Bark, Fruits
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Decoration Purposes
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Container, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Showy Tree
Botanical Name
PENSTEMON eatonii
GYMNOCALYCIUM
Common Name
Firecracker Penstemon
Chin Cactus
In Hindi
Firecracker penstemon
Gymnocalycium
In German
Kracher penstemon
Gymnocalycium
In French
Firecracker penstemon
Gymnocalycium
In Spanish
Penstemon del petardo
Gymnocalycium
In Greek
πυροτέχνημα penstemon
Gymnocalycium
In Portuguese
Penstemon do foguete
Gymnocalycium
In Polish
petarda penstemon
Gymnocalycium
In Latin
Firecracker Persicaria
Gymnocalycium
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Caryophyllales
Family
Scrophulariaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Penstemon
Gymnocalycium
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Trichocereeae
Subfamily
-
Cactoideae
Number of Species
25054
1
27800
👆🏻