A LITTLE MORE LIFE
Firebush
Hamelia patens
Red native flowers feed hummingbirds and butterflies, followed by berries for birds.
MAKE IT FEEL AT HOME
A spot to thrive.
Choose Florida-native Hamelia patens stock; this can become a large shrub in frost-free gardens.
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil moisture
- Average moisture / Dry soil
- Mature size
- Up to 15 ft tall · Spread varies with pruning
- Season of interest
- Late spring–fall; longer in frost-free gardens
- Hardiness
- USDA zones 8–11
- Garden role
- A tropical flowering shrub
ONE GOOD SWAP
Instead of butterfly bush.
Buddleja davidii
Try firebush for a tropical flowering shrub.
Compare plantsNATIVE TO YOUR PLACE
Find it in your state guide.
Reviewed native coverage. Choose your state to see more alternatives.
Dig a little deeper.
Plant profile & growing information Native range: Kew Florida growing guidance: UF/IFAS Find a native nursery
Photo credits & licenses
Firebush: Forest & Kim Starr · CC BY 3.0
Butterfly bush: Jim, the Photographer · CC BY 2.0
Resized, converted to WebP, and cropped in the layout. Each photo retains its listed license. All photo credits