Floravie Friday: PLANT SPLOTLIGHT
Hamelia patens >> Firebush
We are about to share our favorite ways to use this rockstar native landscape plant in the garden… but first we want to share a few factoids about it.
Image source HERE
When looking for the true Florida native varieties of Firebush, be sure to look out for the botanical name of Hamelia patens. Varieties with the name of H. glabra are the non-native variety. The Florida native variety will always feature a narrow tubular flower as shown in the photos while the non-native species will feature a more broad, vase-like flower. The leaves are a vibrant green color and this plant will flower almost year round. If you’re into supporting wildlife and pollinators, this should be a staple in your garden. We have this in our garden at Floravie Design headquarters and we see bees and butterflies all over it all the time. While often put in the “pest” category, remember that wasps are also pollinators and should be allowed to enjoy the sweet nectar of your landscape as long as they aren’t a nuisance to you and your family. If I had to give this plant a new name it would be Hummingbush because it literally sounds alive!
Oh boy where do we start with the awesomeness that is the Firebush (aka Scarletbush to some). First of all, between the foliage and the flowers it features almost every color in the spectrum, just take a look at this photo! ROYGBIV at it’s finest my friends!
There are many different varieties of Hamelia patens that do well in our USDA Hardiness Zones here in Central Florida but our favorite will always be ‘Firefly. While there is no true dwarf variety of this plant, we find this one to stay the most compact.
Image source HERE
Our favorite way to use Hamelia patens ‘Firefly’ in the garden are as a backdrop. By allowing this plant to exist in the background, you can let it just do it’s thing and find it’s natural form. It can be a little unruly and not have a “formal” shape to it, but it’s a great foundation planting. Since it is in the background of your landscape, you won’t have to prune it as much, thus allowing it to maximize it’s blooms which allows you to enjoy more of it’s blooms. If it starts to exceed 5’ in height, we recommend doing a trimming but be careful not to prune any branches smaller than the diameter of a pencil. Consider planting native grasses and other pollinator friendly shrubs in front of it to create a layered look.
Need Hamelia patens: Firebush in your garden NOW?! We get it…. Lukas Nursery usually has it in stock and we can find a place in your yard where it would be so happy!