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Russelia equisetiformis
Also called Coralplant, Firecracker Plant, Fountainplant, Heath Fire Cracker
In Singapore: Coral Plant, Fountain Plant, Firecracker Plant, Fountain Bush, 爆仗竹 (Grown in Singapore)
Fountainbush is a weeping, multi-branched subshrub from Mexico and Guatemala with thin green stems and arching, horsetail-like foliage, covered in small red tubular flowers that attract hummingbirds. Give it plenty of sun and let it spill from hanging baskets or containers.
Russelia equisetiformis, the fountainbush, firecracker plant, coral plant, coral fountain, coralblow, ruby falls or fountain plant, is a species of flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae.
This weeping subshrub is native to Mexico and Guatemala.
Russelia equisetiformis is cultivated as an ornamental plant, for subtropical & temperate gardens. In tropical locations, it is recommended to be used as feature pots or hanging planters as it can become unruly in garden settings. Various colours exist ranging from white, yellow, pale orange & shades of red. Optimal conditions for flowering is a minimum of 4 hours of sunlight. The firecracker plant is capable of growing in a diverse range of settings, from desert to rain forest.
This species is best grown as a sprawling bordering or cascading groundcover where it accentuates its natural tufting rush-like habit. It is equality suitable in a container (pot) as a feature. Russelia equisetiformis is especially attractive when grown in a basket, a hanging container, or otherwise cascading downwards, giving an appearance of cascading jungle cacti (like Hatiora or Rhipsalis) or the thin-leaved Hoya species Hoya linearis. Once established, R. equisetiformis is moderately drought tolerant. In temperate climates, the species is known to be semi-deciduous.
[Contains information from Leaf Area Index (LAI) and Heritage Trees from data.gov.sg (National Parks Board), made available under the terms of the Singapore Open Data Licence version 1.0]
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Russelia equisetiformis by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
