Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Flowering Plants
Fruit, Tree
Origin
Southwestern United States, California
-
Types
-
-
Number of Varieties
4050
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dry areas, meadows
Forests, gardens, Hill prairies, Homesteads, Rocky areas, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-9-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
-
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21
-
Habit
Clump-Forming
Bushy, Evergreen
Plant Size
Minimum Height
61.00 cm800.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.40 cm400.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Crimson
Light Green, Lime Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
-
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Yellow, Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Yellow, Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Yellow, Green, Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oblong
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
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, Late Summer, Early Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Pollution, Salt, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Seedlings, Stem Cutting, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do Not over Water, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water when soil is dry
Keep ground moist, Requires regular watering, Use Mulches to help prevent water loss during hot and windy weather
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
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
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
Cut or pinch the stems, Do not prune during shooting season, Remove deadheads
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 10-10-10 amount
High Potash Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Insects
Bacterial Blight, Foliage-feeding caterpillars, Moth
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Pollution, Salt and Soil Compaction
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
Caterpillar
Allergy
Asthma
Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Blood purifying, Glowing Skin, Good for skin and hair, Provides herbal hair care, Speed hair growth
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, soil stabilisation
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Burns, Snakebite, Stomach aliments
Atherosclerosis, Cancer, Diabetes, Diarrhea, High blood pressure, High cholestrol, Obesity, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Fruits
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Making Shampoo, Used for its medicinal properties, Used in herbal medicines
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Cottage garden
Botanical Name
PENSTEMON eatonii
Phyllanthus acidus
Common Name
Firecracker Penstemon
Tahitian gooseberry, country gooseberry, star gooseberry, starberry, grosella
In Hindi
Firecracker penstemon
ताहितियन आमला
In German
Kracher penstemon
Tahitian Stachelbeere
In French
Firecracker penstemon
Tahitian Gooseberry
In Spanish
Penstemon del petardo
Tahitian grosella espinosa
In Greek
πυροτέχνημα penstemon
Tahitian Φραγκοστάφυλο
In Portuguese
Penstemon do foguete
Tahitian Gooseberry
In Polish
petarda penstemon
Tahitian agrest
In Latin
Firecracker Persicaria
Tahitian Gooseberry
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Malpighiales
Family
Scrophulariaceae
Phyllanthaceae
Genus
Penstemon
Phyllanthus
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Phyllantheae
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
250300
1
27800
👆🏻