Odontonema strictumFirespike

The Odontonema strictum, known as Firespike, sends erect terminal spikes of narrow scarlet tubular flowers up out of glossy dark green foliage, and it does it in shade, mostly through autumn and into winter when very little else is working.

That timing and that shade tolerance are the reasons it holds a place in understorey planting beneath canopy trees and along the shaded side of buildings, where it also draws nectar feeders in numbers.

Specifications

• Height1 to 2 metres
• Width0.8 to 1.5 metres
• Native toCentral America, from Mexico through to Panama
• FoliageOpposite, glossy dark green, wavy-margined ovate leaves; evergreen
• Growth rateFast

Conditions

• SoilPrefers fertile, humus-rich, free-draining soils
• LightPartial shade to full sun, with the best flowering in part shade
• WaterModerate to regular through the warm months
• ClimateThrives in tropical and warm subtropical regions

Additional Features

• FlowersErect terminal spikes of narrow scarlet tubular flowers, mainly through autumn and into winter
• UsesIdeal for shaded understorey mass planting, informal hedging, and nectar and wildlife beds
• SpacingPlant 0.8 to 1 metre apart for a continuous mass
• Low MaintenanceCut back hard after flowering; it reshoots freely from the base
• Pest ResistanceGenerally sound with basic care
• Wildlife AttractionA strong nectar source for sunbirds, hummingbirds and butterflies
• Seasonal AppealFlowers in the cooler months when most tropical shrubs have finished

Firespike is the answer where a shaded bed needs strong colour at the wrong end of the year.