Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Perennial
Type
Flowering Plants
Bulb or Corm or Tuber
Origin
Southwestern United States, California
Central America, South America
Types
-
Vine, Flowering plant
Number of Varieties
405
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dry areas, meadows
All sorts of environments, Along Railroads, Banks, Moist Ditches, Roadsides, rocky banks of streams
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-910-13
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
21,22
Habit
Clump-Forming
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
61.00 cm15.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.40 cm15.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Crimson
Purple, Rose
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Purple, Dark Green, Black
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Several shades of Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oblong
Acicular
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
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
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall, Late Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Cuttings, Leaf Cutting, Tuber propagation
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
Keep the Soil well drained, Needs very little water
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
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Hummingbirds
Aphids, Beetles, Cutworms, Insects, Mites, Whiteflies
Allergy
Asthma
Abdominal pain, allergic reaction, Nausea, Skin rash, Twitching of face
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Burns, Snakebite, Stomach aliments
Cures constipation, Fiber, Low calories, lowering blood pressure, Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Leaves, Root, Shoots, Stem, Tuber
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Starch, Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Hanging Basket, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Vine
Botanical Name
PENSTEMON eatonii
IPOMOEA batatas 'Blackie'
Common Name
Firecracker Penstemon
Blackie Sweet Potato Vine, Sweet Potato Vine
In Hindi
Firecracker penstemon
शकरकन्द
In German
Kracher penstemon
Süßkartoffel
In French
Firecracker penstemon
Patate douce
In Spanish
Penstemon del petardo
Ipomoea batatas
In Greek
πυροτέχνημα penstemon
Sweet potato
In Portuguese
Penstemon do foguete
Batata-doce
In Polish
petarda penstemon
Wilec ziemniaczany
In Latin
Firecracker Persicaria
Ipomoea batatas
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Tracheophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Solanales
Family
Scrophulariaceae
Convolvulaceae
Genus
Penstemon
Ipomoea
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
250500
1
27800
👆🏻