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Florida Gardening

Firebush new red variety

11 years ago

At the sale in Manatee today, They had orange/red and also "new" red firebushes. The red being more intense red flower and more compact bush. I bought a bunch of the red, thinking the internet would tell me the details. I can only find passing references to the red. Is there anything different other than that they will remain smaller and have more intensely red flowers, as the seller told me?

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Comments (9)

katkin_gw
11 years ago
Thanks for telling us about this new bush. It is one I'll be looking for, as I love red. :o)
Carol love_the_yard (Zone 9A Jacksonville, FL)
11 years ago
Irma, It sounds so pretty! Try searching for Hamelia patens Compacta. See link below.

Carol in Jax

Here is a link that might be useful: Google Search - Hamelia patens Compacta
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Tom
11 years ago
Some confusion here. I have not heard of a new type of "red" hamelia patens. Normally the most common type is red and grows quite tall in the right place. I have some that are about twelve feet tall. The "dwarf" firebush grows to over six feet in my yard and about as wide. The "dwarf" has flowers that are more yellow/orange.

Neither of these plants are small--although like any other plant they start out that way. They are both frequented by Zebra Lonwings and hummingbirds--in my yard at least.

If this is really a new plant I'd like to hear more. It may well be, however, that the person who sold you the plants did not give the correct information.
Carol love_the_yard (Zone 9A Jacksonville, FL)
11 years ago
From the Google search above, there are a few articles that specifically reference a new dwarf cultivar called Hamelia patens 'Firefly'.

http://okeechobee.ifas.ufl.edu/News%20columns/Firebush.htm

http://nassau.ifas.ufl.edu/horticulture/plantsalespring2012/firebush.html

There is an Eric from Orlando (maybe the same, very knowledgeable Eric that contributes to this forum) that says 'Firefly' is not a dwarf:
http://www.tropicsphere.com/main/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=6858

Hope this is helpful,
Carol

Here is a link that might be useful: UF/IFAS Okeechobee County Extension- Fired up Natives and Near-natives
slopfrog
11 years ago
Slightly OT - I was just at the Morikami Gardens, and I am amazed at how well Firebush takes to training. They had some really nice specimens that were trained and pruned to awesome shapes.
Irma_StPete
Original Author
11 years ago
Thank you everyone for your research links.

From (in 2007) http://okeechobee.ifas.ufl.edu/News columns/Firebush.htm :
"The Florida native Firebush Hamelia patens (left) has orange-red flowers and hairy leaves, while the non-native form, Hamelia patens var. glabra (R) has yellowish flowers and smooth leaf texture." and "Some Firebush plants have a more compact habit. Unfortunately, no one has been able to reliably determine the origin of plants being sold as Hamelia patens 'Dwarf' or 'Compacta.' There is also a new cultivar of Hamelia patens called 'Firefly' with leaves and flowers about half the normal size."

I've just been outside licking the leaves (just washed by rain) of the various firebushes I have planted and the new "red" ones. All of them have rough leaf tops which, I assume, means "hairy" and therefore native. I had not noticed before that one of my planted ones is red, while the one next to is red/orange. No "yellow = non-natives", hooray, I guess.

The leaves of the squat new red ones are slightly bent upward like the ones in the above link's photo) or at least, not flat like all my older ones. I'm calling it the "cultivar Firefly" but I'm open to correction. I hope I'm not adding misinformation to the collected wisdom.
eric_9b
11 years ago
That is correct, the Florida native forms have the reddish orange flowers, non native has the yellowish orange. And the supposed "dwarf" forms like 'Compacta' or 'Firefly' are not dwarf, they will still grow 6-7ft tall. 'Firefly' just has smaller leaves and flowers
Carol love_the_yard (Zone 9A Jacksonville, FL)
11 years ago
Ah, there you are, Eric! I was hoping you would pop in and help! Thanks!

Carol
Irma_StPete
Original Author
11 years ago
Yes, thank you, Eric!
Irma

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