Plant Name

Scientific Name: Bouvardia ternifolia

Synonym: B. glaberrima

Common Names: Firecrackerbush, Firecracker Bush

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial, Evergreen

Growth Habit: Shrub, Subshrub

Arizona Native Status: Native

Habitat: Upland, Mountain. It usually grows in rocky canyon areas above 3000 feet (914 m).

Flower Color: Red

Flowering Season: Spring (late), Summer, Fall (early)

Height: To 4 feet (1.2 m) tall, but usually less

Description: The flowers are tubular, up to 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) long, and have four rounded, point-tipped lobes. The flowers are clustered at the branch tips. The leaves are dark green in color, oval to lanceolate in shape with pointed tips, and usually in whorls of three.

Special Characteristics

Hummingbird Flower – The flowers are excellent for attracting hummingbirds. If you wait long enough near a blooming Firecrackerbush, you will see a hummingbird visiting or guarding the flowers. This plant is a nice choice for hummingbird gardens, and nursery plants are available. These attractive, long-blooming plants prefer a little extra water and partial shade if grown in hot, dry desert areas.

Classification

Kingdom: Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision: Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division: Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass: Asteridae
Order: Rubiales
Family: Rubiaceae – Madder family
Genus: Bouvardia Salisb. – bouvardia
Species: Bouvardia ternifolia (Cav.) Schltdl. – firecrackerbush

More About This Plant

Arizona County Distribution Map
Firecracker Bush (Bouvardia ternifolia) – The Firefly Forest