It is beautiful and the butterflys love it. I need to know if it will freeze or winter will.
What is this plant
I know it as Mexican Firespike. Don't know the botanical name. I have a lot of it in my backyard nursery in Brenham. It was in a very protected spot last November when we got "that first freeze"....it didn't die back. But I heard that it will, if it's open to the north wind.
I love mine, the lush foliage is beautiful all summer. I have red and pink blooming plants in containers....good luck with yours.
I think jamminspoons is correct.
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/1854/index.html
Thank you so much for your help. It is such a beautful flower I did not want to lose it. Joan
Botanical is:
Odontenema strictum
:~)
I am sorry that I did not see your post until now ... if in the ground or large containers left ouside, firespikes will freeze to the dirt level during hard freezes which I know that you have had by now. They will come back up from the roots in the spring. I really ;ove al of the ones I have. Sonething strange happened after the 28 degree temperature (sustained for a long time) Friday night into Saturday morning ... they did not receive freeze damage as they usuually do at 30 degrees. Most of the plants that I did not protect which normally receive freeze damaged didn't.
Thank you both. It helps a lot to know all you can about a plant.
I went out to look at my plant and It did freeze but I have pine needles over it. Does it have another color? How big does yours get? Joan
We also grow the pink @ the Farm where I work.
I don't have any @ my house right now but I have seen them over 7' tall including the 1' bloom stalk(ARE).
Thanks I will look for the pink. I can't wait until mine is that big. Joan
Mine stayed outside over this last freezing weekend in Houston (actually around 32 degrees) and It's looking better today than it did all summer long. IN fact, I think it kinda likes the cool temps! It's looking healthy as all get-out!
I lived in Houston years ago and it sure is a good place to grow flowers.
Mine are about 5 feet tall. They probably will eventually freeze to the ground. I take cuttings before they do freeze to share with others in the spring. They root very easily in just water or almost as easily in potting soil. I just have the red variety. I have never seen the pink ones in person. There is also a purple blooming variety that I would love to have; however, I have never been able to locate any of them.. They do love the cooler weather. At least I don't have to water them so much now. I still haven't fdetermined why mine have not been frost bitten after temperatures around 28 for 2 nights and just below freezing the past 2 nights.
Are the pink ones a bright pink or are they a pale pink?
Smockette, said that they grow where he or she works. We now have red, purlpe and pink. I will watch closely this spring and post it here if I find it. Joan
Thanks, Joan.
Smockette is a girl, not to be confused with Smock, who's hair is now longer than mine.
I'll have to ck & see if we have any pinks ready to sell. I'll get one as soon as they are available & start making babies to share @ the CSRU!
:~) Sounds like a plan, huh?
I'll ck with my boss & see if she knows about the purple ones.
Smockette, Sounds good to me. Thank you, Joan
Smockette, thanks.
these also come in purple. and last year my firespike froze to the ground but did come back. i put a small pink one in the ground this year and don't know if it will come back yet. a lady in georgia tells me that hers came back as well. i have heard also that the purple is not as vigorous as the red..........that was from a girl in puerto rico as hers died. but the lady in south georgia did not describe it as being finicky at all. the disappointing thing about this plant is that it blooms so late in the year. but then plants did weird things this year.
mamajack, the firespike always bloom late in the season. My red ones usually start blooming in middle to late August. For some reason, they have not frozen back yet and are still blooming. A fellow DG member gave me a leaf of the purple blooming one that she was rooting, but it died.