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For the Love Of Nature, Art and Bad Humor
A Comic Gallery of Creative Expression in the Pursuit of Knowledge
Firebush
Hamelia patens (Scarlet Bush, Hummingbird Bush or Redhead)
Hamelia- After French botanist Henry Louis Hamel de Monceau (1700-1782).
Patens- Latin for spreading or to be open
Firebush sure lives up to its name.
This plant is smokin’ hot! Gorgeous.
One of the prettiest native plants Florida has to offer.
And it’s hardy, fast growing, can tolerate heat, wind, drought, salt and a variety of different soils. Wet or dry, acidic or alkaline. It’s cool.
It’s a hardy evergreen perennial with no serious insect
or disease problems and blooms spring through fall.
Year round in warmer climates.
People aren’t the only admirers of this statement bush. Butterflies and hummingbirds love it too.
Those luscious clusters of showy, bright, orangish-red,
thin, tubular flowers attract pollinators from all over.
Both as a nectar source and a host for larva.
The berries are also gorgeous.
The juicy, seed-filled fruit ripen from green to yellow to
dark red and finally to plump black. And they are enjoyed by birds and mammals alike.
A bush can have flowers and berries
ripening at the same time in various stages,
offering something for everyone.
They’re edible for humans too!
Although reportedly they don't taste great. But they are related to coffee and in Mexico the acidic berries are used to make a fermented drink. Its native range reaches from Florida to as far south as Argentina.
The Mayan name for firebush is Ix Canaan which means Guardian of the Forest. Indigenous tribes historically used extract from the leaves, flowers and stems to treat all kinds of skin ailments like rashes, skin fungus, sores and insect stings. They also used firebush to treat menstrual cramps, headache, rheumatism, fever and dysentery.
Modern researchers have found they do indeed have
anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. So they’re cool to have around.
Another interesting fact is that firebush grows
continuously so its wood lacks growth rings.
In case you need one more reason to
fall in love with the firebush- here it is!
Birds who are attracted to firebush also tend to munch
on small insects around the firebush- keeping
mosquitoes, ticks, fleas down in your yard.
Win!
So, these low-maintenance, redheaded beauties
are not only pretty but also attract cool wildlife that eat pests and could potentially rid your toe fungus. Cool!
Cheers to the awesome, fiery firebush!
References:
https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornamentals/firebush.html
https://www.fnps.org/plant/hamelia-patens
https://www.floridastateparks.org/sites/default/files/inline-files/Firebush%20Critter%20Sheet.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamelia_patens
Special thanks to Jay Exum, Ph.D. Wildlife Ecology for his expert fact checking!
P.S. For purchasing consideration: If you live in Florida -
make sure you buy the ones with dark reddish-orange flowers versus lighter yellowish-orange flowers. (Often marketed as dwarf or African.) They are not native and thus not as cool as the native variety.
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