Firebush
July 2008
I purchased and planted two (burning fire bushes) in spring of 2003. They get almost
full sun except for about an hour in the morning and about two in the evening. They
are about four and one half feet tall, and have never bloomed. I have seen the red
orange little flower that appears on these bushes in another yard about half mile
from my neighborhood bloom every summer. What do I need to do to get blooms? I live
in NLR.
Firebush, Hamelia patens is a great summer blooming plant. It is marginally hardy in central Arkansas; in
fact, I am surprised you have had one for five years planted in the ground. I consider
them sub-tropical, and recommend moving them into protected storage for the winter
except for the southern fringe of the state. It is a heat lover, native to southern
Florida, and tends to kick into bloom once it gets hot--which is now! Find out if
your neighbor leaves their plant in the ground all winter as well. Yours may be delayed
in flowering until it re-grows the plant each season. Sunlight is not the issue, as
they can bloom in partial shade. One other thought; make sure you planted Hamelia
patens and not the shrubby burning bush Euonymus alatus. Common names sometimes can be misleading.
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