Bloomipedia
Firecracker penstemon (Penstemon eatonii)
Photo: Anders Hastings via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Firecracker penstemon

Penstemon eatonii

Native in the lower 48

Firecracker penstemon is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–July.

8states
2of our state lists
4,028U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Nevada, Utah

Quick look

Penstemon eatonii is a species of flowering plant in the genus Penstemon, known by the common name firecracker penstemon. It is native to the Western United States from Southern California to the Rocky Mountains. It grows in many types of desert, woodland, forest, and open plateau habitat.

  • It belongs to the Plantaginaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 8 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Utah and Nevada. NatureServe
  • In Utah, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–June. iNaturalist
  • In Nevada, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–July. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as red. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as early spring. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 2.5 ft. USDA PLANTS
  • iNaturalist has 2,019 research-grade sightings of it in Utah, ranking #13 among the 109 flowers on our Utah list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 798 research-grade sightings of it in Nevada, ranking #42 among the 110 flowers on our Nevada list. iNaturalist

Firecracker penstemon gift ideas

Handmade firecracker penstemon gifts from independent makers.

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (773 records)
Bloom time in each of our 2 states
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
UtahNativeApril–June2,019
NevadaNativeApril–July798

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
Utah
No list Utah has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Utah ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Utah.
Nevada
Not listed Not on Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Nevada. NAC 527.010
Rare elsewhere
No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records firecracker penstemon in 8 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming.

Utah counties with USDA records: Beaver, Carbon, Duchesne, Emery, Garfield, Grand, Iron, Juab, Kane, Millard, Piute, Salt Lake, San Juan, Sanpete, Sevier, Tooele, Utah, Wasatch, Washington, Wayne.

Nevada counties with USDA records: Clark, Humboldt, Lincoln, Nye, White Pine.

More Utah flowers

Sources