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Odontonema strictum (Firespike) - An erect evergreen shrub that grows 8-12 feet tall by 6-10 feet wide with short rhizomes that send up nearly vertical stems of wavy-margined 10-inch-long smooth glossy-textured leaves. Slender bright fiery red flowers are crowded on erect terminal spikes above the foliage with a few spikes present at a time beginning early summer and continuing through fall into winter - a very long bloomer in frost free areas! This plant grows well in full sun, where plants are more compact and shorter, or light shade with moderate to infrequent irrigation – is surprisingly dry growing for such a tropical looking plant and hardy and evergreen to 28-30 degrees F, but rebounds fast so can be used down to USDA Zone 8 gardens as a large herbaceous perennial that flowers in the fall. This is a great plant for adding a showy tropical look without having to irrigate regularly - flowers over a long period in our Santa Barbara garden in the sun and in the shade and is attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies. Deer are apparently also attracted to its lush leaves as well.
Odontonema strictum is native to open, semi-forested areas of Central America, perhaps north into Mexico and has naturalized in disturbed sites in Florida. The name for the genus is from the Greek words 'odonto' meaning teeth and 'nema' meaning "thread" in reference to the stamens having toothed filaments. The specific epithet is in reference either to the erect upright growth habit of the plant or perhaps to the erect flower spikes. Other common names include Cardinal Guard, Mexican Fire Spike Bush and Scarlet Flame.
This plant We have grown this plant since 1995 as Odontonema strictum but note that the database of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew currently lists the valid name of this plant as Odontonema tubaeforme. It is occasionally seen listed as Thyrsacanthus tubaeformis and previously under the invalid name Justicia coccinea.
The information about Odontonema strictum displayed on this web page is based on our research conducted in the nursery's horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also include observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share cultural information that would aid others in growing this plant. |
