Plant Library

Other Names:  Mexican Flame Bush, Red Tassel Flower

Description:

This is an upright shrub producing fern-like, sea green foliage that folds up at night or to the touch; scarlet-red, fan shaped powderpuff blooms appear from spring to fall, with sporadic blooming year-round; tolerant of heat and humidity

Ornamental Features

Brazilian Flame Bush features showy scarlet pincushion flowers along the branches from late winter to late fall. It has attractive bluish-green evergreen foliage which emerges light green in spring. The tiny narrow bipinnately compound leaves are highly ornamental and remain bluish-green throughout the winter. The smooth gray bark adds an interesting dimension to the landscape.

Landscape Attributes

Brazilian Flame Bush is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. It lends an extremely fine and delicate texture to the landscape composition which can make it a great accent feature on this basis alone.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and should not require much pruning, except when necessary, such as to remove dieback. It is a good choice for attracting bees, butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Brazilian Flame Bush is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use
• Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Brazilian Flame Bush will grow to be about 10 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 10 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 30 years.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in sandy soils, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This species is not originally from North America.

Brazilian Flame Bush makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Its large size and upright habit of growth lend it for use as a solitary accent, or in a composition surrounded by smaller plants around the base and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.