Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Shrub
Flowering Plants
Origin
Southern Africa
Southwestern United States, California
Types
Carissa Carandas
-
Number of Varieties
440
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Coastal bush land, Sandy areas
Dry areas, meadows
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-114-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
9-1
Sunset Zone
H2, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21
Habit
Cushion/Mound-forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.00 cm61.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
60.00 cm25.40 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White
Crimson
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Hot Pink, Magenta, Purple, Red
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval to roundish
Oblong
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Slow
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Do Not over Water, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water when soil is dry
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
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
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
No pruning needed in the early stages, Prune to stimulate growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove deadheads
Fertilizers
Equal amount of N,P,K
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 10-10-10 amount
Pests and Diseases
Aphids
Insects
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
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds
Hummingbirds
Allergy
Mildly Toxic
Asthma
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
along a porch, deck or patio, Ground Cover, small hedge
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Iron, Potassium, Vitamin C
Burns, Snakebite, Stomach aliments
Part of Plant Used
Fruits
Whole plant
Other Uses
Cake, Jam, Jelly, Sauces
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging, Edible, Foundation, Groundcover, Hedges, Topiary, Bonsai, Espalier, Tropical
Container, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Botanical Name
CARISSA macrocarpa 'Emerald Blanket'
PENSTEMON eatonii
Common Name
Large Num-Num
Firecracker Penstemon
In Hindi
नेटाल बेर
Firecracker penstemon
In German
Natal Plum
Kracher penstemon
In French
natal Plum
Firecracker penstemon
In Spanish
Ciruela Natal
Penstemon del petardo
In Greek
Natal Plum
πυροτέχνημα penstemon
In Portuguese
Natal Plum
Penstemon do foguete
In Polish
Natal Plum
petarda penstemon
In Latin
Natal Plum
Firecracker Persicaria
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
-
Class
Magnoliopsida
-
Order
Gentianales
Lamiales
Family
Apocynaceae
Scrophulariaceae
Genus
Carissa
Penstemon
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Carisseae
-
Subfamily
Rauvolfioideae
-
Number of Species
20250
1
27800
👆🏻