Shrub
Firebush
Hamelia patens · Rubiaceae
Also called: Scarlet bush, Hummingbird bush, Mexican firebush
Firebush (Hamelia patens) is a moderate-water shrub well suited to Tucson and the low desert. It's a fast-growing shrub.
Firebush at a glance
- Water use
- Moderate (established)
- Sun
- Full sun for best flower and foliage color; tolerates light afternoon shade in Tucson's intense heat.
- Mature size
- 3-6 ft tall and wide in Tucson as a die-back perennial shrub (taller, to 8-10 ft, in frost-free climates)
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Bloom
- Orange-red to scarlet tubular flowers, followed by black berries, Late spring through fall (essentially until frost)
- Cold hardiness
- Frost-sensitive; foliage damaged below ~32 F and it typically dies to the ground in a hard freeze, recovering from the roots in spring. Best as a warm-season/die-back perennial in USDA 9a-9b.
- Soil
- Adaptable; prefers well-draining soil with some organic matter. Tolerates Tucson's alkaline soils reasonably but can show mild chlorosis in very poor caliche.
- Native range
- Florida, Mexico, Caribbean, Central and South America (NOT native to the Sonoran Desert)
- Best used as
- Hummingbird and butterfly habitat, Summer color shrub, Pollinator garden, Informal screen or accent
- Wildlife
- Excellent hummingbird, butterfly (including swallowtails), and bee plant; berries eaten by birds.
- Toxicity
- Considered non-toxic to people and pets; berries are eaten in some cultures and used medicinally, but not recommended for casual consumption.
How to grow Firebush in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
Water deeply 1-2 times per week in summer once established; reduce to every 10-14 days in cooler months and minimally in winter. Appreciates more water than true desert plants but needs good drainage.
Fertilizer & nutrients
Light feeder. Apply a balanced slow-release fertilizer in spring as growth resumes; a second light feeding in early summer supports the long bloom. Avoid heavy nitrogen, which favors leaves over flowers.
Pruning & care
In Tucson it usually freezes back in winter; cut frost-damaged stems to the ground in late winter (Feb) and it regrows vigorously from the base. Light tip-pruning through the season keeps it compact.
Notes
One of the best heat-loving pollinator shrubs for the low desert. Treat it as a heat-season performer that may freeze back each winter in Tucson; site it in a warm, protected microclimate to reduce die-back. Hamelia patens var. glabra ('African' firebush) is more compact and somewhat hardier.
Sources: University of Arizona Cooperative Extension / Pima County Master Gardeners; Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum plant references; AMWUA Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert