Description

Firebush (Hamelia patens) is a large perennial shrub or small tree in the coffee family, Rubiaceae, that is native to the American subtropics and tropics. Its range extends from Florida in the Southern United States to as far south as Argentina. Common names include Hummingbird bush, scarlet bush, and redhead. In Belize, this plant's Mayan name is Ix Canaan and is also known as "Guardian of the Forest". Hamelia patens nick named as ‘Hamelia’ may have a scraggy appearance, but is used commonly in gardens due to its hardy nature, ornamental, showy, conspicuous and bright flower with almost round the year flowering. A member of Rubiaceae family it’s native to tropical America. Local names include Fire-bush, Hummingbird bush, Scarlet bush. Its dwarf variety is getting quite popular as low cover or as shrubbery.

Characteristics:

Firebush is a showy, fast-growing, semi-woody evergreen shrub that can get up to 15 ft tall under ideal conditions, but usually stays much smaller. It has whorled leaves, usually with three but occasionally as many as seven at each node. Leaves are elliptic to oval, about 15 cm long, and gray-velvet-hairy underneath with reddish veins and leaf-stalks. They are curled upward from the midvein. Throughout the year, firebush produces showy clusters of bright reddish-orange or scarlet tubular flowers, each about 2 cm long, at branch-ends. Even the flower stalks are red. The clusters of fruit also are showy. Each fruit is a juicy berry with many small seeds, ripening from green to yellow to red and finally to black. A firebush plant usually has flowers and fruit in various stages. Firebush is native to central and southern Florida and the West Indies, Central America and South America to Paraguay and Bolivia.

Medicinal Uses:

The plants are used in folk medicine for a range of ailments. Firebush leaf extracts can be used for anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and diuretic purposes, and it has also been shown to host antibacterial and antifungal properties, too. A tea can be made from the leaves, stems and flowers, and can be drank to relieve menstrual cramps, and treat fever and diarrhea.