Add tropical flair with long lasting blooms on a plant that thrives with heat and humidity. Firecracker plant, also known as cigar flower or its latin name, cuphea ignea, is a perennial plant valued for its ornamental flowers, lanceshaped foliage and ease of care. They can also make wonderful houseplants with their glossy, deep green foliage that looks good even if they are not in bloom. The crossandra plant crossandra infundibuliformis pronounced krossandruh infundihbewleeformiss or firecracker flower, known for its bright orange flowers, thrived in india and sri lanka nearly 100 years ago. Crossandra infundibuliformis, the firecracker flower, is a species of flowering plant in the family acanthaceae, native to southern india and sri lanka. Space plants 1 to 3 feet apart, depending on the variety. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage. The plants long, tubular flowers resemble small, red firecrackers, hence the common name. Firecracker plant university of florida, institute of food. Theyre often salmon or apricot, but can be found in shades of yellow, red, or pink. An annual in most usda plant hardiness zones, the cigar plant flower is a tender.
Crossandra firecracker flower plant profile the spruce. Plants react to deadheading by sending out new blooms to. A welcome pop of color in the winter, firecracker flowers lights up tropical and coastal gardens with its candy cornlike blossoms from fall until the heat of summer puts a halt to the show. That is because the flower head and seed head look like fireworks exploding, if we were to have the honor of naming the plant, we would include fireworks in the moniker. Grow in full sun in average, welldrained soil that stays evenly moist. Its narrow, soft leaves give it a fine texture in the landscape, making it a great contrast to broadleaf plants. A great longlasting color plant, crossandra can bloom almost nonstop all year long in the right conditions. Firecracker beardtongue penstemon eatonii richfield. Known as the firecracker flower or kanakambaram, this flowering house plant is easy to grow, loves heat and humidity, and does well in partial shade. Growing cuphea firecracker plant white flower farm. Firecracker flowers, how to grow and care for firecracker.
The firecracker fern is also known as the coral fountain plant as it looks like a fountain of green, fine textured stems covered in colorful tubular flowers originating from a central point. Firecracker flower crossandra infundibuliformis lutea rich, orangeyellow blooms burst forth at the terminal ends of the stems on this east african native. Crossandra simple in the cultivation and care of plants. Clusters of scarlet tubular flowers resembling small firecrackers provide reliable color from spring through fall. While taking firecracker flower care, its diseases should be taken into consideration as it affects the health of the plant. Learn growing crossandra flower, how to grow crossandra in a container, crossandra plant care, and more about this plants.
Young plants grow quickly and will likely need to be. In tropical climates, these heat and humidityloving plants put on quite the show with their spikes of bright orange, yellow, salmon, or pink blooms. Garden guides firecracker fern planting instructions. We look at two plant vareities the sundance crossandra which produces orange flowers and the firecracker plant which produces red. There are various common names for this plant, but none refer to what is clearly its most striking feature. Plant the firecracker plant in rich, welldrained potting soil. Full sun, especially through glass, will scorch the exposed leaves. Buy crossandra tropic flame and crossandra tropic yellow splash from outsidepride. Firecracker plant, cigar plant cuphea ignea my garden life. Maybe its because some people call it firecracker plant and lots of plants are called firecracker plant. Firecracker flower is usually growing in the form of a bed in the garden in subtropical and tropical areas, gardeners use it to create contrast from the point of view of color combination. Firecracker plant grows in a wild and wispy freeform with cascading fiery red blooms that attract hummingbirds and butterflies. Information cigar plant care how to grow a cigar plant.
Tips grow firecracker plant outdoors in zones 10 through 12 only. The prolific flowers are calling cards for hummingbirds and bees, which visit the shrub frequently to gather nectar. The plant s long, tubular flowers resemble small, red firecrackers, hence the common name. They have glossy, dark green leaves and spikes of brightly colored, funnel shaped flowers that continue to bloom for months on end. Learn more about monrovia plants and best practices for best possible plant performance. Crossandra seeds,orange marmalade firecracker flower very rare tropical plant. This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it. How to trim a firecracker fern home guides sf gate. Orange marmalade firecracker flower monrovia orange. Grown indoors and out, this warmweather plant truly catches.
Always keep this plant in full sun for best flowering and to avoid it stretching in the shade. Dig a hole twice the diameter of the container the plant is in. Browse pictures and read growth cultivation information about crossandra, firecracker flower, firecracker plant crossandra infundibuliformis orange marmalade supplied by member gardeners in t. Red firecracker fern, firecracker plant, coral fountain plant. Pinch off spent flower spikes to keep new ones coming. It looks great spilling from containers, raised beds, over walls, and can even be used as an informal groundcover. Cigar plant care cuphea ignea is not complicated and the returning blooms make it a fun little shrub to grow in the garden.
Crossandra plants can be thought of as slightly easier cousins of the hibiscus although they are in no way related. Plant care aglaonema firecracker lighting and temperature aglaonema firecracker is a great house plant for just about any location except full sun. Growing cuphea firecracker plant latin name pronunciation. In northern areas, treat crossandra as an annual, mixing it with other sunloving. The pods dry and eventually explode releasing their seeds when exposed to high humidity or rain. Plant database entry for firecracker plant crossandra infundibuliformis orange marmalade with 16 images, one comment, and 26 data details. Firecracker flower crossandra infundibuliformis lutea. This is a great looking semievergreen plant that is easy to care for. This plant is native to sri lanka and southern india and features narrow, oblong leaves and pale, peachy or coral flowers. Prune plants as needed to maintain shape in early summer after flowering tapers. Firecracker plant is a small plant that can have an explosive impact in your garden, attracting hummingbirds and butterflies. Information cigar plant care how to grow a cigar plant flower.
Monrovia s orange marmalade firecracker flower details and information. Flora series growing crossandra sundance firecracker plant. Firecracker plant university of florida, institute of. Nov, 2019 crossandra, popularly called the firecracker flower, is a tropical subshrub. Seeds of this species were collected from 15 different locations in ut. If ever there was a plant that epitomized the right plant, right place rule this is it. These plants will have a lot more details displayed including an image. Red firecracker fern, firecracker plant, coral fountain.
The firecracker plant is a tender perennial around the southwest russelia equisetiformis. Great for training on a trellis, accenting a border, or spilling out of a container. A finetextured, sagelike perennial with showy cascades of slender, bellshaped red flowers. Firecracker flower is quite an easy plant to maintain.
Such a plant reaches a plant for a year, if grown from a handle. Native to mexico, coral plant russelia equisetiformis is a highly ornamental shrub with slender, wispy stems spilling out like a waterfall and ablaze with clusters of bright, coralred tubular flowers, which attract hummingbirds and butterflies. It is most often found in south indian region malenadu. Aglaonema plants will survive in low light but will become thin and leggy.
Crossandra infundibuliformis, commonly called firecracker flower, is native to india and sri lanka. Firecracker flower crossandra infundibuliformis exuding. Firecracker plant typically blooms yearround with a profusion of red, tubular flowers. I just love the firecracker plant and yes the hummers love it also this year i purchased one and placed it in a container to place in a new garden and the plant is now in my greenhouse looking really good i am hoping it will continue to thrive and i will move it back outside mid april i probably will purchase another one as the tropical plants are lovely. It might be decaying of its roots, infecting leaves, causing yellowish color, mushy spots and. Once established, plants can tolerate dryer growing conditions. Rich in nectar, the blossoms are attractive to hummingbirds and other pollinators. Plant firecracker flower in fall or winter and water plants regularly to encourage a strong, deep root system. Often called yellow crossandra, the firecracker flower performs well in containers where it blooms from spring until frost in outdoor gardens, or yearround if grown indoors.
Maybe its because of its tonguetwisting botanical namecrossandra infundibuliformis. If you want to plant the firecracker in a flower pot, use a pot that has at least one drainage hole in the bottom. Feed every three weeks with liquid fertilizer according to label directions. Firecracker beardtongue was released by the soil conservation services plant materials center in aberdeen, id. Or just maybe its because i inexplicably left it out of the new southern living garden book. Provide sufficient water, bright light and high humidity, as well as feed fortnightly with a balanced fertilizer, half the recommended strength, and it will be a happy bloomer throughout the year. Whether grown in a container or the garden, but be sure to position it where the vibrant flowers and their many visitors can be viewed and enjoyed. Lush dark green foliage provides a backdrop which makes the flowers truly shine. The firecracker plant will bloom from midspring and into the late fall seasons. The dry pods, when ready, are triggered to disperse during a watering or a rain shower with a pop explosion, sending seeds in all directions thus our many volunteers. Slender, rushlike stems start out erect, then fall over into long, showy cascades. Plant care aglaonema firecracker plants plant and flower.
A fantastic combination of vibrant flowers and glossy foliage that makes a colorful houseplant or potted plant for patios and decks. Crossandra infundibuliformis firecracker flowerrhs gardening. Firecracker flower plants are very decorative, compact flowering shrubs that grow 1824 tall. This striking multibranched plant has virtually no foliage and will gracefully cascade from your walls or raised beds in a beautiful, continuous. Crossandra infundibuliformis firecracker flowerrhs. Fertilize once per year during early spring with a slowrelease fertilizer. Growing crossandra flower how to grow crossandra in a. Remove the plant from its container and place it in the hole so the top of the root ball is level with the soil surface. It is a tropical evergreen subshrub that grows tall. This is russelia equisetiformis, also known as the, coral plant, fountain bush, firecracker plant and hummingbirds plant. Crossandra, firecracker flower crossandra infundibuliformis. In todays video, we look at how to grow the crossandra plant.
Crossandra, firecracker flower, firecracker plant crossandra. Fertilize twice a month in summer with a watersoluble fertilizer such as 153015 to keep plants flowering all season long. The bright tubular blooms of the firecracker plant are a magnet for hummingbirds, bees and butterflies. Plants from each seed location were evaluated in sidebyside field trials for beauty, hardiness, longevity and natural range of adaptability. For best results, take cuttings early in the spring growing season, use a rooting hormone, and plant the cuttings into seedstarting soil. If you dont have access to potting soil that provides adequate drainage, make your own by mixing garden soil and garden sand or peat at a 1to1 ratio. They are excellent plants for growing in planters which can be brought indoors in the winter months and grown as a house plant. Deadheading spent flowers will help with continuous blooms. Outstanding disease and insect resistance means great garden performance. Talking about my favorite plant for the hummingbirds. Crossandra, popularly called the firecracker flower, is a tropical subshrub. Features apricot to salmon pink flowers in terminal racemes. A gardening guide to planting crossandra in your home. Firecracker plant crossandra infundibuliformis orange.
Firecracker plant requires regular irrigation during planting and flowering phase. This colorful plant also grows well in large containers. Sep 21, 2017 firecracker plant, also known as cigar flower or its latin name, cuphea ignea, is a perennial plant valued for its ornamental flowers, lanceshaped foliage and ease of care. Mar 26, 2018 talking about my favorite plant for the hummingbirds. Vermillionaire large firecracker plant cuphea hybrid. Vermillionaire, like all cuphea is a heat lover and will do best in warm gardens with bright light. Large clusters of frilly, bright orange flowers shine against glossy green foliage. If you select any attributes with or without a plant name, you will see a much narrower selection of results taken only from the old rhs plant selector database. Lets take a look at the ease and rewards of growing cigar plants in your landscape. Irrigate the warm atmosphere and long dry weather every day, it will increase the flower production. Its prized as much for its constant display or orange or apricot flowers and attractive shiny foliage as it is for its easygrowing nature.
Sep 21, 2017 plant the firecracker plant in rich, welldrained potting soil. Firecracker flowers are easy plants to grow and care for, as long as they have sufficient water and humidity. Keep moist throughout the growing season, regular fertilizing will keep it full and constantly flowering. Tolerant of sun or shade, firecracker flower is a great for planting near shaded patios. Firecracker plant seed crossandra tropic flame flower seeds. Brilliant clusters of apricotcolored flowers give firecracker flower crossandra infundibuliformis its descriptive common name. It might be decaying of its roots, infecting leaves, causing yellowish color, mushy spots and holes or infecting its stem. Plant in full sun and allow the soil to dry slightly between watering. Firecracker flower is usually growing in the form of a bed in the garden in subtropical and tropical areas, gardeners use it to create contrast from the point of view of color combination when these plants are grown with other shade. Crossandra species, firecracker flower, firecracker plant. After established, firecracker flower has good drought tolerance.
Genus crossandra are evergreen perennials or shrubs with paired or whorled lanceshaped leaves and conelike terminal flower spikes with prominent bracts and salvershaped flowers. This plant gets the name firecracker flower as a result of its seed pods. Spent flower heads, if allowed to remain on the plant, will disperse seed. It is an erect, evergreen sub shrub growing to 1 m 3 ft 3 in with glossy, wavymargined leaves and fanshaped. Plant database entry for firecracker flower crossandra infundibuliformis with 12 images and 17 data details. The tubular flowers, most common in red, resemble a fountainlike burst of fireworks that make this plant showy and appealing. Firecracker plant is an open multistemmed evergreen shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Crossandra is a versatile plant grown as an annual, perennial, or flowering houseplant, depending on where you live. We now treat this plant as naturalized perrenial allowing it to flourish where ever it wishes.
Water regularly weekly, or more often in extreme heat or. Crossandra crossandra infundibuliformis tropic flame start some crossandra flower seeds and bring a bang of color to your landscape or your home. If you enter just a plant name, you will see results from the old rhs plant finder and selector databases. We look at two plant vareities the sundance crossandra which produces orange flowers and the. They are tropical plants with showy blooms grown as bedding. Provide bottom heat and plenty of humidity until new growth emerges, then move to their permanent location. Firecracker plants can be grown in poor soil, if necessary.
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