Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Firecracker Bush red
Firecracker Bush is a compact shrub covered in clusters of red to orange tubular flowers from spring through fall. Hummingbirds find it hard to resist, and butterflies visit too. It stays about 3 to 4 feet tall and wide, and the leaves turn coppery red in cool weather. It regrows fast each spring.
Best for: hummingbird and butterfly beds, summer color in a small space, and a compact accent shrub.
Clusters of red to orange tubular flowers open from spring through fall. Hummingbirds find them hard to resist, and butterflies come too.
It stays about 3 to 4 feet tall and wide, so it fits a small bed or border. Plant it 3 to 4 feet apart for a massed look.
After it regrows in spring, it is loaded with flowers by summer. In cool weather the leaves turn a coppery red.
In Arizona it usually freezes to the ground in winter and regrows from the roots in spring. It needs regular summer water, so it does not belong in a dry, low-water bed.
- Plant to plant3-4 ft apart, center to center
- Mass planting3-4 ft apart, center to center
Water every 3 to 4 days for the first two weeks. Then stretch the gaps step by step, to about every 10 to 14 days by the second month.
Give it moderate, regular water, most of all in summer. Let the soil dry a little between soakings.
It usually freezes to the ground in an Arizona winter. Leave the stems until spring, then cut back the frozen growth and it resprouts from the roots.
It blooms best in full sun and can take part shade.
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 firecracker bush attract hummingbirds?
Yes. Hummingbirds find the red tubular flowers hard to resist, and butterflies visit too.
How big does it get?
Most plants stay about 3 to 4 feet tall and wide. Plant them 3 to 4 feet apart.
When does it bloom?
From spring through fall, with the biggest show in summer after it regrows.
How much water does it need?
Moderate, regular water, most of all in summer. Let the soil dry a little between soakings, since it needs good drainage.
What happens to it in winter?
In Arizona it usually freezes to the ground in winter. The roots take about 20°F and resprout in spring, so cut back the frozen stems then.
Does it need full sun?
It blooms best in full sun and can take part shade.
Why are the leaves turning red?
That is normal in cool weather, when the leaves turn a coppery red.
Is it a low-water plant?
No. It needs regular water through the Valley summer to look its best.
Firecracker Bush red for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Firecracker Bush (Hamelia patens) is a compact flowering shrub grown for hummingbirds and long summer color. This page covers size, spacing, sun, water, winter freeze-back and pruning in the Valley.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
Firecracker bush in the Valley
In Arizona, firecracker bush freezes to the ground in winter and comes back from its roots in spring, blooming heavily by summer.
How far apart do you plant firecracker bush?
About 3 to 4 feet apart, center to center. The Spacing tab counts plants for your bed.
Firecracker bush and hummingbirds
Hummingbirds love the red tubular flowers, and butterflies visit them too.
How often do you water firecracker bush?
Give it moderate, regular water, most of all in summer, in soil that drains well.
Firecracker bush after a freeze
Leave the frozen stems until spring, then cut them back. The roots take about 20°F.
How big does firecracker bush get?
Most plants stay about 3 to 4 feet tall and wide in the Valley.
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.