Plant Finder

Other Names:  Scarlet Bouvardia, Trumpet Flower

Description:

An upright, small shrub with slightly arching stems bearing whorls of glossy dark green oval leaves; brilliant scarlet trumpet flowers appear in clusters from mid-spring until fall; deciduous in colder areas; stunning color for the garden or containers

Ornamental Features

Firecracker Bush features showy clusters of scarlet trumpet-shaped flowers at the ends of the branches from mid spring to mid fall. It has dark green evergreen foliage. The small glossy oval leaves remain dark green throughout the winter.

Landscape Attributes

Firecracker Bush is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a shapely form and gracefully arching branches. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It is a good choice for attracting bees, butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Firecracker Bush is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Firecracker Bush will grow to be about 4 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. It has a low canopy. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This species is native to parts of North America.

Firecracker Bush makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its height, it is often used as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.