This is Hamelia patens, Mexican Firebush, growing luxuriantly near my daughter's front porch in Houston. It's more than 6 feet tall and wide, and covered with blossoms. The bees were very busy working the bush, so I had a hard time setting up to get a good picture. I also got buzzed by a hummingbird!
These two pictures show flower clusters with buds, open flowers, and fruits.
This is a large shrub or even a small tree in its native habitat in subtropical to tropical America. The bright red-orange tubular flowers attract hummingbirds, and the foliage is very pretty. The fruits are a small dark red, almost black berry and are very decorative after the flowers fade. The fruits are eaten by birds, which helps disperse the seeds.
I first saw this plant in cultivation at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens and of course had to have one in my own yard. Planted one and lost it the first winter. Tried again the next year with the same result. And of course, my plant didn't attain the size of the one in San Antonio, because I live squarely in Zone 8. Now I grow it as a pot plant, and it gets very pretty and full but only reaches about 3-4 feet tall. But it overwinters just fine in an unheated greenhouse.
I was amazed by my daughter's plant. Her comment was, "The lawn service was supposed to trim this back." I would love to have this problem, LOL!
These are the fruits in late September. They will turn dark red to almost black with the onset of colder weather.
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