Other Names:  Scarlet Bush, Firecracker Bush

Description:

A beautiful compact cultivar, producing a tidy mound of green foliage; presents orange-red tubular flowers for most of the year, that are loved by hummingbirds; evergreen and larger growing in frost free climates; great for containers and borders

Ornamental Features

Firefly Firebush features showy cymes of orange tubular flowers with red overtones at the ends of the branches from late winter to early winter. It features an abundance of magnificent black berries in early fall. It has emerald green evergreen foliage which emerges coppery-bronze in spring. The pointy leaves remain emerald green throughout the winter. The brick red branches add an interesting dimension to the landscape.

Landscape Attributes

Firefly Firebush 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.

Firefly Firebush is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Firefly Firebush will grow to be about 5 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 7 feet. It has a low canopy, and is suitable for planting under power lines. 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 may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.

Firefly Firebush 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.