Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Flowering Plants
Grass
Origin
Southwestern United States, California
Southwestern United States, Texas, Mexico
Types
-
Nassella tenuissima
Number of Varieties
4015
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dry areas, meadows
driveways, open Woodlands, Roadsides, Rocky areas, Slopes, tree wells
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-96-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
11 - 4
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21
2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
61.00 cm50.80 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.40 cm55.90 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Crimson
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Yellow green, Tan
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Green, Yellow green, Gold, Tan
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oblong
Linear
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
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
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
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, 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
Requires little pruning
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 10-10-10 amount
Apply 12-6-6 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
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Hummingbirds
-
Allergy
Asthma
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes, small hedge
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Burns, Snakebite, Stomach aliments
-
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Leaves
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Dried Flower / Everlasting, Container, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Botanical Name
PENSTEMON eatonii
NASSELLA tenuissima
Common Name
Firecracker Penstemon
Finestem Needlegrass, Mexican Feather Grass
In Hindi
Firecracker penstemon
Mexican Feather Grass
In German
Kracher penstemon
Mexikanische Federgras
In French
Firecracker penstemon
Mexicaine Herbe Feather
In Spanish
Penstemon del petardo
Pluma hierba mexicana
In Greek
πυροτέχνημα penstemon
Μεξικού Αστραπή Grass
In Portuguese
Penstemon do foguete
Mexican Pena Relva
In Polish
petarda penstemon
Mexican Feather trawy
In Latin
Firecracker Persicaria
Mexicanus Pluma Grass
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Liliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Cyperales
Family
Scrophulariaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Penstemon
Nassella
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
Stipeae
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
250116
1
27800
👆🏻