Firecracker Penstemon. Penstemon eatonii, Snapdragon or Figwort Family: ( Scrophulariaceae ), Firecracker Penstemon. Also called: Mexican Firecracker, Beardtongue, Penstemon. We wish to thank Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia for some of the information on this page. We share images and information with Wikipedia. A low evergreen shrub, or herbaceous perennial. This plant is attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds. It has sprawling or upright growth patterns. The flower stalks are often arched over near the tops and straighten out as the stem gains strength. The corolla lobes are very small so that it appears to be a very narrow long closed tube instead of being open. Quick Notes: Height: About 3 - 4 feet in height. Flowers: The flower is funnel-shaped, with short round lobes. The corolla is about 3/4 inch long, glandular and hairy on the outside. It has a broad upper corolla with a 2 - lobed lip, bent upward. The lower corolla lip is 3 - lobed and bent downward. There are 5 stamens, the fifth is sterile but bearded at the tip. Blooming Time: February - May. Stalk: Several erect, sparsely leaved stems with pinkish-lavender, bilaterally symmetrical flowers in a long, open, interrupted cluster. Leaves: Green to blue - green, fleshy, about 2 - 5 inches long, triangular leaves, smooth. Found: The USDA claims it is native to the USA (AZ, CA, CO, ID, NM, NV, UT, WY). Claimed to be native in most of the Arizona counties. Also native to Mexico in the states of: northern Sonora, northern Chihuahua, Baja Norte, & Baja California. Elevation: Naturally found in California between 4,921 and 9,186 feet. Does well at lower elevations but needs some water. Hardiness: We have read reports that it is found in the wild in California in Zone 3a. USDA Zone 3a: to -39.9 �C (-40 �F) USDA Zone 3b: to -37.2 �C (-35 �F) USDA Zone 4a: to -34.4 �C (-30 �F) USDA Zone 4b: to -31.6 �C (-25 �F) USDA Zone 5a: to -28.8 �C (-20 �F) USDA Zone 5b: to -26.1 �C (-15 �F) USDA Zone 6a: to -23.3 �C (-10 �F) USDA Zone 6b: to -20.5 �C (-5 �F) USDA Zone 7a: to -17.7 �C (0 �F) USDA Zone 7b: to -14.9 �C (5 �F) USDA Zone 8a: to -12.2 �C (10 �F) USDA Zone 8b: to -9.4 �C (15 �F) USDA Zone 9a: to -6.6 �C (20 �F) USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8 �C (25 �F) USDA Zone 10a: to -1.1 �C (30 �F) USDA Zone 10b: to 1.7 �C (35 �F) USDA Zone 11: above 4.5 �C (40 �F) Soil pH requirements: 5.6 to 6.0 (acidic) 6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic) 6.6 to 7.5 (neutral) 7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline) Sun Exposure: Full Sun Habitat: Chalky/alkaline, Dry, Sandy, Well-drained/light soils, sandy washes. Miscellaneous: Photos Taken At The Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix On March 3, 2008. And At The Glendale, Arizona Xeriscape Demonstration Garden On February 27, 2009. Drought-tolerant; suitable for xeriscaping.

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