Bugambilia

The Bugambilia has been called a climbing bush, a shrub, or a vine.   It is a flowering plant that can bloom all year in sub-tropical warm semi-dry environments.  It has been seen covering fences, walls, and roofs or just standing on its own to be enjoyed.  It produces beautifully vibrant colored flowers of fuchsia, pink, purple, white, red and more that are a vision to behold. 

 The Bugambilia plant is native to Brazil but fares well in the southern half of Florida, the southern tip of Texas, California and Hawaii.  Some gardeners have even had success in South Carolina and Georgia with this easy to grow evergreen.  Winter nights below 20 degrees may cause your Bugambilia to wilt and loose its leaves and flowers. If this happens, cover your plant and do not prune until the last frost.

 The Bugambilia fares best when it is planted in a place with full sun exposure with moist well drained soil.  The less sun exposure, the less this plant will bloom.  The flowers of the Bugambilia are made up of a rich colorful paper-like leaves that protects a small white flower in the center of the leaves. 

 Besides beauty, versatility is another attraction gardeners have to this gorgeous plant.  You can plant your Bugambilia in a container or in the ground.  It can grow as a vine on a trellis; you can shape it in a tree form, or use it as a hedge.  The spines on the Bugambilia are long and sharp, so care is needed when picking a place for your plant as well as pruning, shaping and  doing away with cuttings.

Firebush

Firebush, Hamelia patens, is a tropical shrub or bedding plant native to South America. Also called the “Firecracker” plant, the name gives you an idea of the bright red luscious color that this plant shows off as well as the level of heat that this plant loves! 

 The Firebush plant is a shrub that grows in the Gulf states of Mexico, Texas and Southern Florida along with Central and South America and the West Indies.  The hotter the better for this drought resistant heat seeker.

 Your shrub is best planted in full direct sunlight in well drained soil. Water weekly until the roots set.  Once it is established, it will need little care.  It can grow 7 – 10 feet high and just as wide.  Hummingbirds, butterflies and honey bees will be attracted to the nectar of the beautiful red tubular flower clusters the shrub produces.  Birds such as the Mockingbird and Catbird will eat its round red juicy berry fruit.

As the temperatures cool in the fall, the green leaves of this shrub will turn a vibrant red.  If the temperatures get to cool for this heat-seeker it will die without warmth and any living root system will not start growing until temperatures of the soil are very hot again.

 Many gardeners have had success with this growing this low maintenance beauty in the ground as well as in containers.  It also reacts well to being transplanted.  If you plant it in the ground, leave plenty of space for it to grow to maturity so you do not have to cut back its beautiful fruit and blooms!