Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Perennial
Type
Flowering Plants
Grass
Origin
Southwestern United States, California
Africa
Types
-
Pennisetum glaucum
Number of Varieties
407
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dry areas, meadows
Sunny Edge, Warmer regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-98-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
12 - 8
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21
8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
61.00 cm90.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.40 cm30.50 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Crimson
Brown, Purple, Purplish-black
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Brown, Cream
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Purple, Dark Green, Burgundy
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Purple, Dark Green, Burgundy
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oblong
Long Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
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
Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
No pruning needed in the early stages, Prune to stimulate growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove deadheads
Prune in winter, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 10-10-10 amount
15-0-15, All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Insects
Alternaria Leaf Spot, eyespot, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Deer resistant, 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
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Hummingbirds
Aphids, Bees, Birds
Allergy
Asthma
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
along a porch, deck or patio, Beautification, Informal Hedge, Mixed Border, Showy Purposes, Wild gardens
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Burns, Snakebite, Stomach aliments
-
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Branch, Flowering Tips, Whole plant
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Beneficial species for attracting pollinators, repels deer
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Bedding Plant, Container, Cutflower, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
PENSTEMON eatonii
PENNISETUM glaucum 'purple millet'
Common Name
Firecracker Penstemon
Millet, Pearl Millet
In Hindi
Firecracker penstemon
purple millet
In German
Kracher penstemon
purple millet
In French
Firecracker penstemon
millet pourpre
In Spanish
Penstemon del petardo
purple millet
In Greek
πυροτέχνημα penstemon
purple millet
In Portuguese
Penstemon do foguete
purple millet
In Polish
petarda penstemon
purple millet
In Latin
Firecracker Persicaria
purple millet
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Liliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Cyperales
Family
Scrophulariaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Penstemon
Pennisetum
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
Paniceae
Subfamily
-
Panicoideae
Number of Species
2501
1
27800
👆🏻