Product Description:
Deciduous and branching subshrub ideal for hanging basket or in front of shrub border in warm climate. Leaves are scale-like and medium green in color. Tubular red flowers bloom from spring to fall. Actually, it can flower any time of year, given enough warmth and light. You’ll get the most blooms by putting it in full sun. Moving it outdoors for the summer is ideal. It’s attractive to passersby as well as to butterflies and hummingbirds. This is a frost-tender plant. In fact, it doesn’t do well in cold temperatures, so be sure to bring it back indoors when the temperature drops in autumn.
Light:
Full Sun is defined as exposure to more than 6 hours of continuous, direct sun per day.
Soil:
Firecracker plants tolerate a variety of soils as long as they are well-draining. You could have anything from sandy, chalky, loamy, maybe even clay and they would continue to thrive.
Water:
Water thoroughly, allowing the top of the soil to dry out between watering. Mature plants are drought-tolerant, so it’s a good idea to keep them on the dry side.
Temperature:
Average room temperatures 65-75°F/18-24°C. If you move your plant outside for the warm months, don’t worry — it can take the heat. It’s hardy in USDA Zones 9b-11.
Humidity:
Average room (around 40% relative humidity)
Fertilizer:
Feed every 2 weeks spring through fall with a balanced water-soluble fertilizer diluted by half. In winter, feed monthly.
Pruning:
It is necessary to prune your deciduous flowering shrub for two reasons: 1. By removing old, damaged or dead wood, you increase air flow, yielding in less disease. 2. You rejuvenate new growth which increases flower production.
Propagation:
Take stem tip cuttings in spring.
