Hamelia patens
The size of the plant and of its bag can vary a little from the photograph — each one grows at its own pace. We keep them as consistent as we can.
Overview
Firebush is a hummingbird magnet: its red and orange tubular flowers are open almost all year, and its small berries feed the birds. It's a native, easy, generous shrub. It's also one of the most important plants in Mesoamerican traditional medicine: among the Totonac people of Mexico alone, 77 different uses have been recorded.
Culture
- Habit
- Evergreen Shrub
- Height
- 2.50 m
- Pollinators
- Humming birds
- Cultivation Status
- Ornamental, Wild
Native to our region and very easy to grow: full sun or partial shade, in almost any well-drained soil. It flowers and fruits all year round. It takes pruning well, for hedges. Spacing: 2–3 m.
Edible Uses
Its small, sour berries are edible, though little used; they're more a gift for the birds.
Medicinal
In traditional Mexican and Central American medicine the leaves are used for wounds, digestive trouble and as a painkiller. Caution: it has also traditionally been used to end pregnancies, so it should not be used during pregnancy.
Traditional uses for information only. Not a substitute for advice from a health professional.
Agroforestry
A support species of the medium stratum. It's pruned for biomass and as a living hedge, and it's one of the best plants for bringing hummingbirds, butterflies and birds into the system.