What Is Firecracker Plant?
The firecracker plant (Crossandra infundibuliform ) is an exotic houseplant that produces large, red, and yellow trumpet-shaped blooms with white spotting. More often than not, the color of the blooms will be red though there are other colors such as pink and orange in existence. This plant isn’t a true bonsai but it’s still considered an indoor bonsai because of its slow growth.
Crossandra infundibuliform is medium-textured green foliage with unique floral blooms that make it popular as an ornamental houseplant.
The plant produces tubular-shaped flowers on upright spikes ranging from dark-red, orange to yellow in color. The flowers have many thin overlapping petals that are white spotted on the insides of the flower.
The firecracker plant is a tropical plant that will require warm temperatures and moist soil to thrive. It’s best for this plant to be grown near a sunny window or outside during spring, summer, and fall but it can also grow as an indoor bonsai year-round if given proper care.
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Firecracker Plant Care & Maintenance
Before you get started with growing the firecracker plant, it’s important to know what the needs are for this tropical plant. When caring for the firecracker plant, it is important to provide bright light but keep out of direct sunlight most of the time.
This plant can grow indoors as an indoor bonsai year-round if it’s given proper care and grows well in a variety of environments from warm sunny windowsills to shady patios.
This tropical houseplant does best when temperatures stay between 70-80 degrees F/21-27 degrees C throughout the day and night. It requires humidity levels above 50 percent so keep that in mind when growing firecracker plants as indoor bonsai.
Light Requirements:
Firecracker plants like bright but indirect sunlight. Keep the plant away from direct sun as it could easily burn the leaves and flowers. Bright filtered light is good, too. The best place to grow these tropical houseplants are in a location that has plenty of natural or artificial light but no direct sun exposure most of the time.
The firecracker plant likes bright light for the flowering stage and will require less light during vegetative growth. Firecracker plants may wither up if not given enough sunlight so having this knowledge prior to growing them indoors helps a lot when caring for firecracker bonsai indoors as an indoor bonsai.
Watering Requirements:
Wet soil thoroughly and drain completely. Water container-grown plants with lukewarm water to help prevent root rot. Plants grown in containers will require repottting every two years or so to maintain vigor; otherwise, pot heavily to promote deep, fibrous root growth.
Overwatering is a common cause of death for this plant because the plant requires only moderate watering amounts throughout the year. In fact, the plant can survive drought conditions if you give it enough time to dry out before watering again so be sure not to overwater your firecracker houseplant as this could cause root rot and other problems. Since overwatering is a big problem when caring for firecracker houseplants as indoor bonsai you’ll want to make sure that you are watering properly and not overwatering the plant.
Soil Requirements:
Firecracker plants should be grown in soil with good drainage. The best type of soil for growing this plant would be a sandy potting mix or fertile garden loam. Since this tropical plant will grow faster outdoors, it’s important to use a fast-draining potting mix when caring for firecracker plants as indoor bonsai indoors during the winter months and yearly repotting.
The firecracker houseplant can survive in most types of soil but prefers light soils such as those found on river banks. These plants like soils that drain well and don’t hold much water. They also enjoy humidity when grown indoors in containers so it’s important that you find a potting mix that will help maintain the right amount of moisture inside the soil.
Propagation:
The plant is easily propagated from softwood or semi-hardwood cuttings taken during spring or summer and rooted under mist.
It can also be increased by the division of the rhizomes, which have nodes with aerial shoots at intervals.
The seed is a small, black oval shape contained within a capsule with 5 compartments containing dark brown seeds about 1/16 inch long.
Pests & Diseases:
Scale insects, mealybugs, spider mites, and aphids are likely to attack this tropical houseplant indoors. They can be treated with miticide sprays or insecticidal soaps.
When grown outdoors, the firecracker plant is subject to spider mites, scale insects, and thrip damage.
Foliage-feeding caterpillars may also chew holes in mature plants. To prevent pests from damaging your firecracker bonsai as an indoor bonsai, make sure that you check your plant regularly for spider mites and other bugs that like to feed on the leaves of this beautiful plant.
Temperature and Humidity Requirements:
The firecracker plant is a tropical species that has been grown outdoors in warm, humid climates.
It will tolerate temperatures as low as 50 degrees Fahrenheit if given protection from freezing weather and good drainage to avoid root rot.
The ideal temperature for this houseplant is between 68 and 80 degrees during the day with a cooler temperature at night. It would do best if you keep it in a brightly lit area where the temperature remains around 75-85 degrees indoors during the winter months as an indoor bonsai.
Since it grows well when exposed to higher humidity levels, especially during flowering, you can place your container-grown plants near a pebble tray or saucer of water to help increase the humidity around them. Overall, this tropical houseplant makes a beautiful indoor bonsai with its colorful flowers and large leaves.
During the winter months when days are shorter, you should move it to a brightly lit location indoors where it can get at least six hours of sunlight to keep your firecracker plant growing well.
This tropical plant is easily grown in containers as an indoor bonsai year-round as long as you have bright light, warm temperatures (around 75 degrees), good humidity (around 50% relative humidity or higher) and adequate moisture in the soil.
If you find that your firecracker houseplant has stopped growing and flowering during the winter months, make sure that you are providing it with enough sunlight so that it doesn’t stretch out.
If you are keeping this plant indoors during the winter months, keep it in a bright sunny location and allow the soil to dry out between waterings.
Once you have grown your firecracker bonsai for a year or so, you may want to repot the plant into a larger container as an indoor bonsai. It’s best to repot them when they are actively growing and put them outdoors.
Do not over-water your plants since they like dry conditions; otherwise your firecracker houseplant will get root rot and die. They prefer soils that drain well but do not hold much water after being watered.
Fertilizing Requirements:
Firecracker bonsai prefer fertilizing with a balanced or high-phosphorous fertilizer from April to September.
They should be fertilized using a weak solution of 10-10-10 every two weeks during the growing season and then once every month in the winter months.
Make sure that you do not apply too much fertilizer at one time since it can damage your plant’s roots. You can also use lower concentrations such as a 20:20:20 mixture for young plants and 15:15:15 mixture for older ones.
If you are treating your houseplants with an insecticide, stop using fertilizer altogether since they may contain trace amounts of toxic elements which will kill your firecracker trees.
Your firecracker bonsai will not lose too much leaf color if the fertilizer is withheld for a short period; however, you should resume fertilizing when the plant has recovered.
Potting and repotting Requirements:
Firecracker bonsai can be potted or repotted at any time of the year.
They should be repotted during spring and summer when they are actively growing so they will have enough energy to root into larger pots. The best kind of potting medium for this plant is a mixture of peat moss, bark, and perlite since it does well over a wide range of soil types.
Plant your new tree in a wide pot that has drainage holes to allow excess water to drain out quickly.
Also, try to avoid using synthetic materials like styrofoam peanuts as potting mixes because these are not biodegradable and may cause problems with excess moisture where the roots come in contact with the peanuts.
You can also mix a little bit of light fertilizer into the soil that you are using for your newly-potted firecracker plant, but don’t add more than about 1/8 cup per gallon since this could cause burning if it’s too dense.
After you report your tree and replant it in fresh soil, keep the soil evenly moist to slightly dry until new roots develop.
If there is still old potting medium clinging onto the roots after planting them in new soil, try soaking the tree overnight before removing any remaining pieces from pruning shears or by hand.
The top layer of peat moss should have darkened significantly when your plant needs water; otherwise, most tropical plants will show signs of wilting.
If you notice the leaves of your plant becoming pale, this can mean that there is too much water in the soil so be sure to check it regularly.
Repotting will only be necessary once a year for young plants and once every two or three years for adult specimens. Watch how often your firecracker bonsai needs water by letting the top 2″ of soil dry out between each watering session.
You may need to re-pot it more often if you are growing it outdoors in sunny, dry areas where hot, arid winds blow frequently because those conditions can cause a lot of salts to accumulate in the soil.
Firecracker Plant Propagation info:
Propagation from cuttings is the easiest and most common method of reproducing firecracker bonsai plants.
Take semi-ripe, tender cuts with a knife or shears since hardened wood will not take root.
Make sure that you keep your cutting in a warm place like an enclosed greenhouse for three to four weeks before transplanting it into a fully fertilized potting medium for rooting purposes.
Firecracker plant propagating facts: the seeds of this tree are poisonous so if you plan on using them as another way to reproduce your new firecracker bonsai, you may want to wear gloves when handling them since they can cause skin rashes and other minor irritation.
You can also plant the seeds in a propagator or light, indoor potting medium to start them off. Keep the temperature at about 70 degrees Fahrenheit and be sure to keep the soil moist but not wet while you wait for the seeds to germinate.
Repotting facts: repot your firecracker bonsai every one or two years during spring and summer since this is when it’s actively growing.
Use an organic peat-based potting mixture with a low percentage of fir bark if you are repotting your tree using a conventional method.
If you will be transplanting into a larger container, use a masonry trowel rather than your hands because it will dig out the soil more quickly and help you avoid accidentally cutting the roots from your new firecracker plant.
