Differences in Hamilia Patens or Firebush plants

6 years ago

I went on a garden tour led by Florida butterfly expert Marc Minno this past Saturday and learned a huge difference between the "native" large red Hamilia Patens and the "dwarf." We saw a very large "native" red plant at BB Brown's Garden and Florida Scrub-Jay Trail, and I commented that it was great for butterflies and hummingbirds, but it was a garden thug--it was growing all over the place in my yard and I had to keep digging it up. Both Cathy Brown and Marc Minno said that they had not experienced that and they have observed and grown the "native" for many years.

Upon reflection I realized that the plants that were coming up all over my property were the so-called "dwarf" firebushes. They tend to be an orange/red, rather than the simple red of the native. They also are not 'dwarf.' They have grown to over ten feet in my garden.

I realize that there are many different types of firebushes, but the only ones I'm going to recommend from here on are the large, red "native" ones. I'm going to be digging out the others for a long, long time.

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Comments (5)

four (9B near 9A)
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Tom, my dwarves grow dwarf-like. Possible reasons :

- mine and yours are genetically different

- the many youngest are young

- the two oldest are regrowths from roots, plants having frozen two years ago

- I prune mine as 3 - 4' bushy standards, and repeatedly prune branches shorter than naturally they grow.

Among hybrids, individuals differ in the amounts of the various traits of the source plants; a few at the extremes of a traits distribution curve.
roselee z8b S.W. Texas
6 years ago
The 'dwarf' fire bush I purchased also grew to ten ft. tall. The only thing dwarf about it was smaller leaves than the 'old fashioned' kind. I removed it before it had a chance to spread.
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four (9B near 9A)
6 years ago
Mine never spread. Would save me a great deal of propagation work if they did. Low reliability / yield.
Tom Byrnes
6 years ago
Mine spread like crazy and are very difficult to dig up or poison by putting weed killer on it. I keep digging and poisoning and still they keep coming back. It's a real pain.

Four, I think yours might not be getting tall because you are pruning them--although I can't think of a reason why they wouldn't spread in your garden.

I have at least two hummers now, and have had them since August. This looks like it will be another year when I have hummers all year long.
four (9B near 9A)
6 years ago
> might not be getting tall because you are pruning them

Oh that is certain. The oldest was tall until frozen. Its vigor shows me that it would grow tall again. Others also show that potential.

I have hummer activity. Lower frequency throughout the day gives me to think that the nest is not in my yard at present. I imagine that the squirrels are bothersome.