Should you be growing firebush in Florida ?
Firebush ( Hamelia patens ) is easy to grow in Florida . Firebush will thrive in full sun or part shade . Once established , This native perennial subshrub lighten up dim landscape with its orangish - red flower even through drouth conditions .
Regardless of where you live in the state , promiscuous to grow firebush will flourish and decorate the landscape with year - round flower color for seasons to come . Additionally , it ’s guaranteed not to be your landscape ’s fussy , problem child , almost thriving on neglectfulness and as an added fillip , butterflies and hummingbirds love it .
Continue reading because we cover basic info about this flowering beauty , as well as growing bakshis to make firebush a roaring and stunning improver to your garden .
Firebush Characteristics – Growing Tips & Uses
Firebush is an evergreen perennial bush made up of soft woody branches replete with whorled arrangements of fleeceable ellipse foliation that grow around 4 to 8 inches long .
Enhancing the plant life ’s sake are the fine red fuzz cover unripe leaf , as well as the red immature stems . Once mature , the foliage develops purple and red fleck , keep the appeal .
In springtime and up until a frost , arrangements of thin 1- to 1.5 - inch reddish - orange tree tube-shaped flowers satisfy the shrub , thus the common name firebush or scarlet bush . Firebush blooms twelvemonth - round in warm area of Florida where frosts and freezes are n’t a trouble . The bright tubular flower are extremely attractive to both butterflies and hummingbirds .
As an append bonus , after the flower fade , oval black fruits develop that are fleshy and less than .5 inches in diameter . The fruits are edible and attract a vast raiment of birds to the shrub .
Making the firebush even more desirable are its characteristics of being heat- , salt- and drouth - tolerant once established .
Best Time to Plant Firebush in Florida
Although firebush flourish in all areas of Florida , where you live decides when the best time to plant the bush into the landscape is . Those living in South Florida where temperature are ardent year - round can implant firebush into the landscape painting nearly all year . AreaPlanting DatesNorth FloridaApr – SepCentral FloridaApr – SepSouth FloridaFeb – Dec
Planting date guidelines have been source fromIFAS .
However , those hold out in colder areas of Central and North Florida where frosts and freezing are common should n’t put firebush into the landscape until temperatures fond in spring . To give the root system time to lay down itself before the cold winds of wintertime come calling , plant the firebush bounce through late summer .
If you ’re desiring to uprise the firebush in a container , you may plant year - round . However , those living in insensate locations in the state should fetch the container into a warm and protect fix during wintertime if you do n’t want the plant to conk to the earth once wintertime ’s cold temperatures impinge on .
Does Firebush Grow in Shade?
Firebush grows well placed in full Sunday to shade , although for more rosiness the shrub desires more light . The plant still produces flowers planted in a partially suspect to shady location , but the bloom production is thin than those growing in cheery locations . Planting firebush in full Dominicus guarantees the most colorful bang for your buck , when it comes to flowers .
How tall does Firebush Grow?
The strong the climate , the larger firebush will develop , arrive at anywhere from 6 to 12 feet tall and 5 to 8 feet wide-cut . This degraded - grower can average around 4 feet of new growth every year . Those live on in North Florida where icing are common can expect the firebush to die to the ground in winter , only to germinate new growth in spring , so the plant wo n’t reach its full potential in size .
For those desiring the same dimension of firebush but want a minor smorgasbord can uprise a dwarf cultivar generally heel as ‘ Dwarf ’ or ‘ Compacta , ’ ( Hamelia patens var . glabra ) . The plant rise around one-half as improbable , has modest and placid foliage and the flower are lighter .
In tender Florida localisation where the firebush receive its expectant size , gardeners can prune the prominent shrub into little tree diagram form . Just crop off the bottom branches with sporting pruning tools to make a branchless trunk .
Best Soil for Firebush
Native firebush grows so well in Florida because it ’s adapt to grow in all the commonwealth ’s various filth types from very dry to occasionally plastered , acidic types to alkaline . For the good ontogenesis , found the firebush in well - debilitate soil and pee on a regular basis until its ascendent scheme is found in the planting site . Once ground , firebush is relatively tolerant to drought .
If you are planting the firebush into a container , expend a well - drained potting mix and ensure the container has bottom drain . This prevents the possibility of too quaggy soil for too long and settle down bunkum germinate .
How to use Firebush in the Landscape
There are multiple uses for firebush in the landscape where it will bring round-the-clock colourful solicitation twelvemonth - round in most sphere of the state . It ’s a must - have addition in aboriginal , wildlife or butterfly gardens , as the plant attracts various songbird , hummingbirds and butterfly . Zebra longwings and gulf fritillaries are especially attracted to the bright blooms . Photo Source and employment rightfield
Firebush also do well used as a grounding planting , a specimen or accent flora , institute in mass , assorted garden or used along borders . In warmer locale where it reach the largest growing , firebush is suitable used as an informal hedge , shield plant life or utilized as a taller background knowledge plant . It will tot a colored collection to garden that are a fleck shadier .
The plant life ’s restrained margin to common salt spray establish it a welcome and colorful addition used in seaboard garden , put up it is n’t planted immediately on the dunes .
The flowering shrub also can impart color and sake planted in containers and used on a porch or patio area . Potted firebush can also add a colourful and welcoming appeal used for an entranceway .
Wherever you determine to implant your firebush within the landscape , it ’s bound to grab attention with the dotted foliage and brilliant orangish - ruddy flowers all year long and be a dauntless and problem - free addition .
Common Landscape Plants used with Firebush
When mixing any different types of plants together , it ’s important that they all thrive in the same preferred conditions . Make trusted all the variety show have the same requirement in sparkle , soil and irrigation . You do n’t want to plant a variety that only flourish in ghost and in constantly soaked soil with a plant that performs best in a sunny website and dryer soil experimental condition .
Fortunately , firebush put up a wide range of land , sunny to shadier easy conditions and is drought - tolerant , although regular water diligence produces the dependable growth . These ethnical preferences allows for a wide variety of plants to develop well with firebush .
Some common types of plants that will work well used in the landscaped planted with firebush include:
No matter where or how you decide to utilise firebush in your landscape painting , you ’ll be bestow a year - round eye - catching add-on that is n’t nark by serious pests or disease and is low - sustentation . It ’s sure to add a beautiful appeal for eld to come .
