Characteristics
| Hardiness zone | 8b |
|---|---|
| Flower color | scarlet |
| Foliage type | evergreen |
| Plant form | round |
| Mature height | 4 feet |
| Spread | 4 feet |
| Light requirements | full sun to partial shade |
| Moisture requirements | average to moist |
| Plant origin | Texas Native |
Scarlet Bush
Botanical name: Hamelia patens
A beautiful native shrub, producing a dense mound of gray-green leaves; orange-red tubular flowers all summer into fall that are loved by hummingbirds; evergreen and larger growing in warm climates; great for containers and borders.
Other names: Firebush, Texas Firebush, Firecracker Bush
Ornamental Features
Scarlet Bush features showy cymes of scarlet tubular flowers at the ends of the branches from early summer to mid fall. It has attractive grayish green foliage with pointy red spines which emerges dark red in spring. The pointy leaves are highly ornamental and turn red in fall. It features an abundance of magnificent plum purple berries in early fall. The red branches add an interesting dimension to the landscape.
Landscape Attributes
Scarlet Bush is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a more or less rounded form. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.
This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Scarlet Bush is recommended for the following landscape applications;
Accent, Mass Planting, General Garden Use, Container Planting
Planting and Growing
Scarlet Bush will grow to be about 4 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 4 feet. It has a low canopy. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 15 years.
This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is native to parts of our region.
Scarlet Bush makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its height, it is often used as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
