Growing Firebush in Florida


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 brightens dull landscapes with its orange-red flowers even through drought conditions.

Regardless of where you live in the state, easy to grow firebush will thrive and grace 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 neglect and as an added bonus, butterflies and hummingbirds love it.

Continue reading because we cover basic information about this flowering beauty, as well as growing tips to make firebush a flourishing and stunning addition to your garden.

Firebush Characteristics – Growing Tips & Uses

Firebush is an evergreen perennial shrub made up of soft woody branches filled with whorled arrangements of green oval foliage that grows around 4 to 8 inches long.

Enhancing the plant’s interest are the fine red hairs covering immature leaves, as well as the red immature stems. Once mature, the foliage develops purple and red speckles, continuing the appeal.

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In springtime and up until a frost, arrangements of thin 1- to 1.5-inch reddish-orange tubular flowers fill the shrub, thus the common name firebush or scarlet bush. Firebush blooms year-round in warmer areas of Florida where frosts and freezes aren’t a problem. The bright tubular flowers are highly attractive to both butterflies and hummingbirds.

As an added bonus, after the blooms fade, oval black fruits develop that are fleshy and less than .5 inches in diameter. The fruits are edible and attract a vast array of birds to the shrub.

Making the firebush even more desirable are its characteristics of being heat-, salt- and drought-tolerant once established.

Best Time to Plant Firebush in Florida

Although firebush thrives in all areas of Florida, where you live decides when the best time to plant the shrub into the landscape is. Those living in South Florida where temperatures are warm year-round can plant firebush into the landscape nearly all year.

AreaPlanting Dates
North FloridaApr – Sep
Central FloridaApr – Sep
South FloridaFeb – Dec

Planting date guidelines have been sourced from IFAS.

However, those living in colder areas of Central and North Florida where frosts and freezes are common shouldn’t put firebush into the landscape until temperatures warm in spring. To give the root system time to establish itself before the cold winds of winter come calling, plant the firebush spring through late summer.

If you’re desiring to grow the firebush in a container, you can plant year-round. However, those living in colder locations in the state should bring the container into a warm and protected location during winter if you don’t want the plant to die to the ground once winter’s cold temperatures strike.

Does Firebush Grow in Shade?

Firebush grows well situated in full sun to shade, although for more blooms the shrub desires more light. The plant still produces flowers planted in a partially shady to shady location, but the bloom production is sparser than those growing in sunnier locations. Planting firebush in full sun guarantees the most colorful bang for your buck, when it comes to flowers.

How tall does Firebush Grow?

The warmer the climate, the larger firebush will grow, reaching anywhere from 6 to 12 feet tall and 5 to 8 feet wide. This fast-grower can average around 4 feet of new growth yearly. Those living in North Florida where frosts are common can expect the firebush to die to the ground in winter, only to sprout new growth in spring, so the plant won’t reach its full potential in size.

For those desiring the same attribute of firebush but want a smaller variety can grow a dwarf cultivar generally listed as ‘Dwarf’ or ‘Compacta,’ (Hamelia patens var. glabra). The plant grows around half as tall, has smaller and smoother foliage and the flowers are lighter.

In warmer Florida locations where the firebush obtains its largest size, gardeners can prune the large shrub into small tree form. Just prune off the bottom branches with clean pruning tools to create a branchless trunk.

Best Soil for Firebush

Native firebush grows so well in Florida because it’s adapted to growing in all the state’s various soil types from very dry to occasionally wet, acidic types to alkaline. For the best growth, plant the firebush in well-drained soil and water regularly until its root system is established in the planting site. Once established, firebush is relatively tolerant to drought.

If you are planting the firebush into a container, use a well-drained potting mix and make sure the container has bottom drainage. This prevents the possibility of too soggy soil for too long and root rot developing.

How to use Firebush in the Landscape

There are multiple uses for firebush in the landscape where it will bring nonstop colorful appeal year-round in most areas of the state. It’s a must-have addition in native, wildlife or butterfly gardens, as the plant attracts various songbirds, hummingbirds and butterflies. Zebra longwings and gulf fritillaries are especially attracted to the bright blooms.

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Firebush also performs well used as a foundation planting, a specimen or accent plant, planted in mass, mixed gardens or used along borders. In warmer locales where it achieves the largest growth, firebush is suitable used as an informal hedge, screening plant or utilized as a taller background plant. It will add a colorful appeal to gardens that are a bit shadier.

The plant’s moderate tolerance to salt spray makes it a welcome and colorful addition used in seaside gardens, provided it isn’t planted directly on the dunes.

The flowering shrub also can add color and interest planted in containers and used on a porch or patio area. Potted firebush can also add a colorful and welcoming appeal used for an entranceway.

Wherever you decide to plant your firebush within the landscape, it’s bound to grab attention with the speckled foliage and bright orange-red flowers all year long and be a hardy 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 sure all the varieties have the same requirements in light, soil and irrigation. You don’t want to plant a variety that only thrives in shade and in constantly wet soil with a plant that performs best in a sunny site and drier soil conditions.

Fortunately, firebush tolerates a wide range of soils, sunny to shadier light conditions and is drought-tolerant, although regular water applications produces the best growth. These cultural preferences allows for a wide variety of plants to grow well with firebush.

Some common types of plants that will work well used in the landscaped planted with firebush include:

  • American Beauty Berry (Callicarpa americana): Native deciduous shrub producing clusters of tiny lilac flowers in springtime, giving way to large clusters of brilliantly colored purple berries in fall that attract birds. Grows 6 feet tall in partial shade and in various well-drained soils and is drought- and salt-tolerant.
  • Coral Bean (Erythrina herbacea): Native herbaceous and deciduous perennial averaging around 3 feet tall. Produces showy scarlet blossoms starting in spring that are flattened and tubular. The flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies. Grows best in partial shade in various well-drained soils and is drought- and salt-tolerant.
  • Tropical Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis): Tropical sun-lover producing large and sometimes plate-sized blooms in a vast array of colors and styles that attract butterflies year-round. Grows best in fertile well-drained soils planted in full sun and plants are moderately tolerant to salt spray. Depending on the variety can grow 15 feet tall.
  • Thryallis (Galphimia glauca): Produces eye-catching spikes filled with bright yellow flowers year-round that attract butterflies. In frost-free areas of the state, it grows up to 9 feet tall. Performs best in full sun to partial sun, planted in well-drained soils and given regular water applications.

No matter where or how you decide to use firebush in your landscape, you’ll be adding a year-round eye-catching addition that isn’t bothered by serious pests or diseases and is low-maintenance. It’s sure to add a beautiful appeal for years to come.

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Josh

Unluckily for plants, I really enjoy growing them. I've grown a few plants over the years and I've killed some too, more than I would like to admit. I just want to share my experience and hope that it helps others.

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