Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Flowering Plants
Broadleaf Evergreen
Origin
Southwestern United States, California
California
Types
-
Heteromeles arbutifolia
Number of Varieties
403
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Dry areas, meadows
Foot Hills, low mountains, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-98-10
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
21,22
Habit
Clump-Forming
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
61.00 cm180.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.40 cm120.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Crimson
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Red, Orange Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oblong
Elliptic
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
Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought, Salt
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
Does not require water in summer, Requires watering in the growing season
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
-
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 10-10-10 amount
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Solid Fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Insects
Bacterial Diseases, Root Pathogen
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Hummingbirds
Birds
Allergy
Asthma
Acidic
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Erosion control
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Burns, Snakebite, Stomach aliments
Body Ache, Stomach pain
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Decoration Purposes, Sauces
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Mixed Border, Screening, Wind Break, Topiary, Bonsai, Espalier
Botanical Name
PENSTEMON eatonii
HETEROMELES arbutifolia
Common Name
Firecracker Penstemon
Christmas Berry, California Holly
In Hindi
Firecracker penstemon
Toyon
In German
Kracher penstemon
Toyon
In French
Firecracker penstemon
Toyon
In Spanish
Penstemon del petardo
Toyon
In Greek
πυροτέχνημα penstemon
Toyon
In Portuguese
Penstemon do foguete
Toyon
In Polish
petarda penstemon
Toyon
In Latin
Firecracker Persicaria
Toyon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Rosales
Family
Scrophulariaceae
Rosaceae
Genus
Penstemon
Heteromeles
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Maleae
Subfamily
-
Amygdaloideae
Number of Species
2506
1
27800
👆🏻