Firebush True East Texas 'Superstar'
Mary Claire Rowe
A late summer perennial bloomed in my garden a couple of weeks ago. It is Hamelia patens (HA may lee uh PAY tenz), which is a hot weather star and a native to South Florida, the West Indies, Mexico and Central America.
It is so well adapted to our Texas climate, that Texas Agricultural Extension Service has awarded it the Texas Superstar designation. Firebush, Scarlet Bush, Hummingbird Bush, as it is known, thrives in the hottest weather.
We have not had our hottest weather of late, so let me explain the characteristics of Firebush that caused it to be so late in growing and blooming in my garden.
It is so well adapted to our Texas climate, that Texas Agricultural Extension Service has awarded it the Texas Superstar designation. Firebush, Scarlet Bush, Hummingbird Bush, as it is known, thrives in the hottest weather.
We have not had our hottest weather of late, so let me explain the characteristics of Firebush that caused it to be so late in growing and blooming in my garden.
(Courtesy Photo By Mary Claire Rowe)
FIREBUSH: Also known as the Hummingbird Bush and Scarlet Bush, the Firebush thrives in hot weather.
It freezes and dies back here in our East Texas climate, and doesn't start growing again, until the ground temperature heats in the summer and the roots get warm. Therefore, it is often referred to as a "perannial," because, while it is perennial in the hotter climes, it is treated as an annual by many gardeners north of Interstate 10.
LIFE BEGINS IN GREENHOUSE
Commercial growers will start it in a greenhouse with bottom heat, just like Lantana and Copper Plant, and have it ready in the early summer. This warm soil gives it a jump-start on the season, and makes it possible to enjoy the beautiful plant for a longer time.
This plant is an evergreen shrub or small tree in the more tropical areas. It is a hummingbird, bee, and butterfly magnet anywhere. The pretty tubular flowers bloom, die, and fall away, leaving beautiful fruit, which turns from green to yellow to red and finally black. The plant usually has flowers and fruit in various stages at all times. The fruit can be eaten, and the sap has been used to treat skin rashes.
The leaves can be crushed and applied to cuts and bruises, or mixed with vinegar and applied to skin eruptions, according to Greg Grant, plant expert, researcher, and co-author of "The Southern Heirloom Garden.'' In fact, it is used more in its native areas for it purported medicinal value, since it grows more like a weed than a cultivated plant.
Some resources on this subject say that researchers have found that extracts of Firebush contain several active phytochemicals, which have antibacterial and antifungal properties, and that immunostimulants have been identified in extracts of Firebush.
In our climate the leaves turn a lovely burning red in the fall, before the first freeze. Once it freezes, many gardeners will pull it out and replace it with cool-weather loving plants like snapdragons, ornamental kale or cabbage, and pansies.
It is hardy to Zone 8, and likes full sun and grows at least three feet wide and tall; and blooms summer until frost.
It is very drought tolerant. It is adaptable to almost any soil, as long as it is well drained.
According to Texas A&M University literature, it has no serious insect or disease problems, when grown outdoors in full sun. A&M also recommends applying balanced fertilizer when planting, and once a month using soluble nitrogen fertilizer out around the roots. Occasionally cut back lightly to encourage constant blooming.
It can be over wintered inside the home near a bright window.
I first noticed this incredible plant many years ago growing at the edge of the jungle at Chichen Itza and Utzmal, the fantastic Mayan ruins in the Yucatan in Mexico.
There it is called Xkanan. At the time, I never thought it could be grown in East Texas. It is a member of the Rubiaceae or Madder Family, along with Gardenia, Coffee, Pentas, and Ixora.
Perhaps this is the year I will bring it inside, so that I can enjoy the red hot blossoms on a cold winter's day. A cup of hot coffee in hand, and a Firebush in bloom, what a great way to bring back memories of the tropics!
"What's Blooming In Our Garden'' is a regular feature of the Tyler Morning Telegraph Garden Page. It is written by Mary Claire Rowe, a Master Gardener with the Texas Cooperative Extension, and focuses on flowers and plant life around East Texas.
To share your comments on gardening, write her in care of the Morning Telegraph.
LIFE BEGINS IN GREENHOUSE
Commercial growers will start it in a greenhouse with bottom heat, just like Lantana and Copper Plant, and have it ready in the early summer. This warm soil gives it a jump-start on the season, and makes it possible to enjoy the beautiful plant for a longer time.
This plant is an evergreen shrub or small tree in the more tropical areas. It is a hummingbird, bee, and butterfly magnet anywhere. The pretty tubular flowers bloom, die, and fall away, leaving beautiful fruit, which turns from green to yellow to red and finally black. The plant usually has flowers and fruit in various stages at all times. The fruit can be eaten, and the sap has been used to treat skin rashes.
The leaves can be crushed and applied to cuts and bruises, or mixed with vinegar and applied to skin eruptions, according to Greg Grant, plant expert, researcher, and co-author of "The Southern Heirloom Garden.'' In fact, it is used more in its native areas for it purported medicinal value, since it grows more like a weed than a cultivated plant.
Some resources on this subject say that researchers have found that extracts of Firebush contain several active phytochemicals, which have antibacterial and antifungal properties, and that immunostimulants have been identified in extracts of Firebush.
In our climate the leaves turn a lovely burning red in the fall, before the first freeze. Once it freezes, many gardeners will pull it out and replace it with cool-weather loving plants like snapdragons, ornamental kale or cabbage, and pansies.
It is hardy to Zone 8, and likes full sun and grows at least three feet wide and tall; and blooms summer until frost.
It is very drought tolerant. It is adaptable to almost any soil, as long as it is well drained.
According to Texas A&M University literature, it has no serious insect or disease problems, when grown outdoors in full sun. A&M also recommends applying balanced fertilizer when planting, and once a month using soluble nitrogen fertilizer out around the roots. Occasionally cut back lightly to encourage constant blooming.
It can be over wintered inside the home near a bright window.
I first noticed this incredible plant many years ago growing at the edge of the jungle at Chichen Itza and Utzmal, the fantastic Mayan ruins in the Yucatan in Mexico.
There it is called Xkanan. At the time, I never thought it could be grown in East Texas. It is a member of the Rubiaceae or Madder Family, along with Gardenia, Coffee, Pentas, and Ixora.
Perhaps this is the year I will bring it inside, so that I can enjoy the red hot blossoms on a cold winter's day. A cup of hot coffee in hand, and a Firebush in bloom, what a great way to bring back memories of the tropics!
"What's Blooming In Our Garden'' is a regular feature of the Tyler Morning Telegraph Garden Page. It is written by Mary Claire Rowe, a Master Gardener with the Texas Cooperative Extension, and focuses on flowers and plant life around East Texas.
To share your comments on gardening, write her in care of the Morning Telegraph.
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