Firebush (Hamelia patens)

Firebush (Hamelia patens) is a large perennial shrub or small tree from subtropical and tropical America. It has orangish-red tubular flowers, which recruit hummingbirds and butterflies for pollination. Their corolla varies much in length, making it attractive to a wide range of pollinators.

It has whorled leaves, usually with three but occasionally as many as seven at each node. The leaves are elliptic to oval, about 6 in (15 cm) long, and gray-pubescent underneath with reddish veins and petioles. They are reflexed upward from the mid vein. Throughout the year, firebush produces showy terminal clusters (cymes) of bright reddish-orange or scarlet tubular flowers, each about 0.75 in (1.9 cm), long. Even the flower stems are red. The clusters of fruit also are showy. Each fruit is a juicy berry with many small seeds, ripening from green to yellow to red and finally to black. A firebush plant usually has flowers and fruit in various stages.

Taxonomy:

Kingdom : Plantae
Division : Magnoliophyta
Class : Magnoliopsida
Subclass : Asteridae
Order : Gentianales
Family : Rubiaceae
Genus : Hamelia
Species : Hamelia patens

Pronunciation/Meaning:

• Hamelia (ham-EE-lee-uh) - Named for Henri Louis Duhamel du Monceau,18th century French botanical writer.
• patens (PAT-ens) - Spreading.

Common Names:

• Firebush, Firecracker Shrub, Mexican Firebush, Scarlet Bush, Hummingbird Bush (English)
• Muna (Bengali)

Links:

• Floridata - Firebush
• Plant Creations - Firebush
• Plant Answers - Firebush
• University of Florida : IFAS Extension - Firebush

Image Courtesy of Ryan Brookes.