Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Flowering Plants
Shrub
Origin
North-Central United States, Central United States, Western United States, Texas
Southern Africa
Types
Blue Toadflax, Old-Field Toadflax
Carissa bispinosa, Carissa carandas
Number of Varieties
3020
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Cultivated Beds
Coastal Regions, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
3-99-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
12-9
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 10
H2, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Cushion/Mound-forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
61.00 cm90.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.40 cm60.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Pink, Light Blue, Lavender
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
-
Light Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green, Blue Green, Gray Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Blue Green, Gray Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Blue Green, Gray Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval to egg shaped
Elliptic and Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Slow
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Shade areas
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Divison, Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting, Vegetative Reproduction
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Never Over-water, Requires regular watering, Water daily during growing season, Water when top layer of soil becomes dry
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
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
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
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune to control growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
use all-purpose fertilizers
fertilize in growing season, Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Foliar disease, Root rot, Spider mites
Insects, Red blotch, Scale, Spider mites, Thripes, Whiteflies
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Shade areas
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
Bumblebees
Birds
Allergy
Depression, High blood cholestrol, Pain
Toxic
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification, Bonsai, Cottage Garden, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Food for insects, Prevent Soil Erosion
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Analgesic, Febrifuge, Stomachic
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Root
Flowers, Fruits
Other Uses
-
Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging, Edible, Foundation, Groundcover, Hedges, Topiary, Bonsai, Espalier, Tropical
Botanical Name
PENSTEMON grandiflorus
CARISSA macrocarpa
Common Name
Large Beardtongue, Shell-leaf Penstemon, Wild Snapdragon
Carissia
In Hindi
Wild Snapdragon
Carissa
In German
Wilde Snapdragon
carissa
In French
Snapdragon sauvage
carissa
In Spanish
Salvaje Snapdragon
carissa
In Greek
άγρια Snapdragon
carissa
In Portuguese
Selvagem Snapdragon
carissa
In Polish
Dziki Snapdragon
carissa
In Latin
Phlox Ferae
carissa
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Scrophulariales
Gentianales
Family
Scrophulariaceae
Apocynaceae
Genus
Penstemon
Carissa
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Carisseae
Subfamily
Scrophularioideae
Rauvolfioideae
Number of Species
40100
1
27800
👆🏻