Firebush
Hamelia patens Jacq.
Also called firebush, scarlet bush.
Fast native shrub with tubular red-orange flowers from late spring to frost, heavily used by hummingbirds and butterflies.
Size over time
Typical landscape size 1.5–3 m (5–10 ft) tall and 1.5–2.4 m (5–8 ft) wide; fast growth, about 4 years to maturity. Intermediate sizes use the planner’s growth curve (k = 0.45) from the #3 install size.
Bloom
Red-orange flowers, May–Nov (northern-hemisphere months; timing shifts with region and season).
| Plant | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Firebush : May–Nov |
Design notes
- Freezes to the ground in zone 9 and often resprouts; cut back in late winter.
- Native alternative to lantana in Florida.
Regions
Native range: Florida, the Caribbean and tropical America.
Native to these OpenLandscape3D pilot regions:
Native status describes where the species occurs naturally. It is not a promise that it suits a particular garden; site conditions decide that.
Related plants
Plan with Firebush
Place it in a design, check it against your zone, light and moisture, and see it at year three and year ten.