Your Guide to Fireworks for this 4th of July

From the Dahlia to the Willow, here's a guide to the staples of any fireworks display according to one of New York's most enduring dynasties!

Phil Grucci, President of Fireworks by Grucci, has seen fireworks develop firsthand. His great great grandfather, Angelo Lanzetta, arrived at Ellis Island in 1870, carrying with him recipes and ingredients to build an enduring firework empire.

Since then, Fireworks by Grucci has hosted firework shows for every presidential inauguration since Ronald Reagan, orchestrated Olympic ceremonies in Beijing, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles and Lake Placid, and proudly holds two Guinness World Records for the “Largest Pyrotechnic Image” and for the “Largest Fireworks Display” in history, among many other feats.

Over the past century,  the Grucci family has amassed a portfolio of over 3,000 unique types of “flitters and glitters”, with subtle differences in size, shape, sound and color. However, for the the non-pyrotechnicians among us, Mr. Grucci has made a list of the “workhorses” of a typical 4th of July firework show, so that you can be the resident fireworks expert among your 4th of July group of friends.

Dahlia Firework

Dahlia firework (rozbyshaka/Shutterstock)

Palm firework

Palm firework

(Pavel Vakhrushev/Shutterstock)

Crossette firework

 Chrysanthemum firework

Chrysanthemum firework

(Noppasin/Shutterstock)

Willow Firework, think: willow tree

Willow Firework

(Pavel Vakhrushev/Shutterstock)

Peony firework

Need a place to practice your firework spotting? Check out these New York City locations.