For:
By: Daniel E. Mullins
Extension Horticulture Agent
Plant Firebush for Late Summer and Fall Color
Prevent
your landscape from taking on that tired, drab appearance this summer. There are many herbaceous flowering
perennials that thrive during this hot, wet and humid season. Firebush is such a
plant. Dr. Rick Schoellhorn, our
Firebush is a beautiful multi-stemmed spreading shrub that produces bright orange-red tubular flowers throughout the warm season. Individual flowers are approximately one and one-half inches long containing much nectar that attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.
The foliage is in a whorled pattern with up to seven leaves per node. Individual leaves are up to six inches in length, glossy green with red veins. This plant is sometimes confused with Ixora because the foliage is somewhat similar.
The
original Firebush, Hamelia patens, is native to coastal areas of central and southern
Firebush is a subtropical plant. Though it grows well for about nine months of the year in our area, it is not cold tolerant. Frosts and freezes usually kill it to the ground but it quickly rebounds the following spring, producing a medium sized shrub, and flowering resumes in mid-summer.
Though Firebush will grow in full sunlight, shade or partial shade, it produces the most flowers in full sun. The foliage is more attractive under shady conditions. The fruit is dark red to purple and is a food source for several species of song birds.
Once established, Firebush prefers well drained soil that is kept on the dry side. Though it prefers a somewhat alkaline condition, it adapts to a variety of soils.
Look for Firebush at local nurseries and garden centers. It will be most commonly offered as a started plant in a six inch container. The ‘compacta’ selection might be better adapted to smaller yards and landscapes. However, our winter freezes will also keep the larger growing form at a manageable size.
Firebush is most effective when planted for a mass effect in perennial beds and borders. Set plants five to six feet apart in mixed or single species plantings.
Question of the Week: I have been told that lawn fertilizer should always be watered in. If rain is expected, can I just apply the fertilizer and wait?
Answer: No, once a dry fertilizer has been applied to the lawn it should be watered in. Two things can happen if fertilizer is not watered in promptly, and both of them are bad for the lawn.
First, there is a danger of severely burning the lawn. In the presence of small amounts of moisture such as dew, the fertilizer would begin to dissolve. This would result in highly concentrated fertilizer salts with the potential to burn leaves, stems and shallow roots.
Second,
the fertilizer should be activated by watering as soon as possible to obtain
the full benefit of the various elements.
If not watered in some of the nitrogen for example, can change to a gas
and be lost to the atmosphere.