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Firespike is a showy evergreen shrub with sparse, stiff branches that grow mostly straight up to about 6 ft (1.8 m) tall. It has shiny dark green leaves with wavy margins and long pointed tips. The leaves are oblong, arranged opposite each other on the stem, and 4-6 in (10-15.2 cm) long. From late summer through winter firespike produces abundant 9-12 in (23-30.5 cm) upright panicles of brilliant red tubular flowers. The individual flowers are about an inch long and two-lipped (symmetrical).
Location
Light:Firespike does well in full sun and in partial shade. Moisture: Firespike likes moist but well-drained soil. Once established it can tolerate all but the longest droughts. You should water even established plants if it hasn't rained for more than two or three weeks. Hardiness: USDA Zones 8 - 11. In frost-free areas firespike grows as an evergreen semi-woody shrub. In zones 8 and 9 it usually dies back to the ground in winter and resprouts in spring. Propagation: Softwood cuttings are very easy to root, and they will bloom in their first year. It is sometimes possible (if you're lucky) to cut a branch and just stick it in the ground where you want a new plant.
The strikingly beautiful crimson flowers and glossy/shiny leaves of firespike brighten the fall landscape. Plant firespike in mixed shrub borders. It will spread by underground sprouting, enlarging to form a thicket, but it is easy to control and keep contained. Firespike is a must-have for southern butterfly and hummingbird gardens.
Features Steve Christman 10/9/99; updated 12/01/01, 10/1/03, 10/28/07
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