Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Firecracker Plant (Coral Fountain Grass) - Russelia equisetiformis
Firecracker plant, also sold as coral fountain, is a weeping shrub with arching, rush-like green stems tipped in tubular coral-red flowers. In the Valley it blooms from spring through fall and often into winter, and hummingbirds come to it all season. It grows about 3 to 6 feet tall and spills over walls, raised planters and big pots. Give it full sun or part shade, little water once rooted and soil that drains.
Best for: a hummingbird garden, spilling over walls, raised planters and big pots, and color around pool areas and patios in sun or part shade.
Its tubular coral-red flowers are a hummingbird favorite, and bees and butterflies visit too. It blooms from spring through fall and often into winter in the Valley. Full sun gives the most flowers.
Its arching, rush-like green stems cascade over raised beds, low walls, banks and large pots, softening hard edges. It also works in hanging baskets.
It is used around pool areas, ponds and water features for steady color. For a mass planting, set plants about 12 to 18 inches apart.
Intense reflected heat from south or west walls can stress it in peak summer. Frost in the high 20s burns the stems back, though it regrows quickly from the base in spring. Young plants need protection from rabbits.
- Tight mass planting12 in apart
- Looser mass planting18 in apart
Water on a regular schedule through the first growing season. After that, deep, less frequent soaks keep it growing well, with more water in the warm months.
Frost can burn the stems back, but it resprouts from the base in spring. Cover it on frost nights to limit the damage.
Prune in late winter or early spring, cutting out frost-damaged and old stems. New growth comes back quickly.
It does best with some fertilizer, since desert soil has little organic matter. Feed it at least once a year.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
Does coral fountain attract hummingbirds?
Yes. The tubular coral-red flowers are a hummingbird favorite, and bees and butterflies visit too. Plant it in full sun for the most flowers.
Is coral fountain grass really a grass?
No. Firecracker plant, also sold as coral fountain grass, is a shrub. Its thin, rush-like green stems only look like a grass.
Can coral fountain take full sun in Phoenix?
Yes, and full sun gives the most flowers. Near hot south or west walls, the reflected heat can stress it in summer, so a spot with some afternoon shade helps there.
How big does coral fountain get?
It grows about 3 to 6 feet tall, with arching stems that spill 1 to 4 feet wide. For a mass planting, set plants about 12 to 18 inches apart.
When should I cut coral fountain back?
Prune it in late winter or early spring. Cut out frost-damaged and old stems, and it regrows quickly from the base.
How often should I water coral fountain?
Water on a regular schedule through the first growing season. After that, it gets by on little water, with deep soaks more often in the warm months.
When does coral fountain bloom?
It blooms from spring through fall in the Valley, and often keeps going into winter until frost.
Does coral fountain get frost damage?
Frost in the high 20s can burn it back. Cover it on frost nights, and cut out the damaged stems in late winter, since it regrows quickly from the base.
Can I grow coral fountain in a pot?
Yes. The weeping stems spill over large pots, raised planters and hanging baskets. Pots dry out faster than the ground, so water them more often.
Does coral fountain need fertilizer?
It does best with some, since desert soil has little organic matter. Feed it at least once a year.
Is coral fountain evergreen?
Yes. Its thin green stems stay green all year in the Valley, unless frost in the high 20s burns them back.
Is coral fountain messy?
No. It drops very little litter, so it works next to a pool or patio.
Firecracker Plant (Coral Fountain Grass) - Russelia equisetiformis for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Firecracker plant, also called coral fountain, is one of the easiest hummingbird plants for Valley yards. It blooms for much of the year, spills over walls and pots, and bounces back after a hard spring cutback. Below are the questions people ask most, from sun and water to frost and spacing.
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Coral fountain for hummingbirds
Coral-red tube flowers bloom from spring through fall and draw hummingbirds all season. Bees and butterflies visit too.
Cutting back coral fountain
Cut it back hard to 1 to 2 feet in late winter or early spring. It regrows quickly and blooms on the new stems.
Coral fountain sun in Phoenix
Full sun gives the most bloom, and it also grows in part shade. Near hot walls, a bit of afternoon shade keeps it from stressing in summer.
How big does coral fountain get?
It grows about 3 to 6 feet tall with cascading stems. Set plants 12 to 18 inches apart for a mass planting.
Is coral fountain frost tender?
Frost in the high 20s burns the stems back, but it regrows quickly in spring. Cover it on frost nights to limit the damage.
Coral fountain in pots and by pools
Its weeping stems make it a good spiller for big pots, raised planters and hanging baskets. It is also used around pool areas and water features.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.