Ixora coccineaJungle Flame

Flat-topped heads of small scarlet tubular flowers, packed tight and held against leathery high-gloss foliage, are what make the Ixora coccinea one of the most planted shrubs in the tropics. Known as Jungle Flame, it comes from southern India and Sri Lanka and flowers almost without pause wherever it is warm enough.

Compact forms clip into low hedges and mass beds along medians and roadsides; taller forms carry a mixed border. Both want their soil kept on the acid side of neutral.

Specifications

• Height1 to 3 metres, with dwarf forms held at 0.6 metres
• Width1 to 2 metres
• Native toSouthern India and Sri Lanka
• FoliageOpposite, leathery, high-gloss dark green oblong leaves; evergreen
• Growth rateModerate

Conditions

• SoilPrefers acidic to neutral, humus-rich, free-draining soils; yellows in strongly alkaline ground unless the bed is corrected
• LightFull sun to partial shade
• WaterModerate; regular and even through the warm months
• ClimateThrives in tropical and warm subtropical regions

Additional Features

• FlowersDense flat-topped corymbs of small scarlet to orange tubular flowers, produced near continuously in warm conditions
• UsesIdeal for low hedging, median and roadside mass beds, border planting and container display
• SpacingPlant 0.6 to 1 metre apart for a hedge or continuous mass
• Low MaintenanceClips well and reshoots readily; shear after each flush and feed to keep the leaf colour up
• Pest ResistanceGenerally sound, with scale and sooty mould appearing on stressed plants
• Seasonal AppealFlowers across most of the year rather than in a single season
• Wildlife AttractionThe tubular flowers are a reliable draw for butterflies

Jungle Flame delivers continuous colour at hedge height, provided the bed is built to keep the soil acid.