🌿 Firecracker Plant (Russelia equisetiformis)

True to its name, the Firecracker Plant explodes with cascading red blooms that resemble tiny fireworks. This tropical evergreen is a favorite in Florida landscapes for its arching, fountain-like stems that stay covered in tubular flowers almost year-round. Fast-growing and easy to care for, it’s a magnet for hummingbirds and butterflies, bringing both color and movement to the garden.

🌸 Flowers & Foliage

• Foliage: Fine, rush-like green stems with tiny leaves for a soft, airy texture

• Flowers: Abundant, tubular, red blooms that dangle along arching stems

• Habit: Graceful, fountain-like form with a constant display of color

🌱 Plant Details

• Type: Evergreen perennial shrub

• Mature Size: 3–5 ft. tall × 4–6 ft. wide

• Growth Habit: Arching, cascading, fountain-like mound

• Exposure: Full sun to partial sun (best flowering in full sun)

• Soil: Well-drained; tolerant of sandy soils

• Water Needs: Moderate; drought tolerant once established

• Hardiness: USDA Zones 9–11 (tender to frost)

• Maintenance: Very low; occasional pruning to shape or cut back after cold snaps

🌟 Why We Love It

• Nonstop blooms — flowers heavily through warm months and often year-round in Florida

• Pollinator favorite — irresistible to hummingbirds and butterflies

• Graceful form — arching stems add motion and texture

• Tough & easy — heat and drought tolerant once established

🌼 Landscape Uses

• Accent plant in pollinator gardens

• Cascading over walls or containers

• Mass plantings for dramatic color impact

• Poolside or tropical garden borders

⚠️ Plant Notes

• Not frost hardy; may die back in North Florida but usually regrows in spring.

• Sprawling growth may require occasional trimming to keep neat.

✅ Level To Leaf Tip: Plant Firecracker in full sun for the boldest color and the heaviest blooms — and watch the hummingbirds flock to your garden.