Firebush Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Firebush

Habitus
Conservation status
Not evaluated (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Gentianales
Family:	Rubiaceae
Genus:	Hamelia
Species:	H. patens
Binomial name
*Hamelia patens* Jacq., 1763

Natural range in United States
Synonyms
List Duhamelia odorata Willd. ex Schult. Duhamelia patens (Jacq.) Pers. Duhamelia sphaerocarpa (Ruiz & Pav.) Pers. Hamelia brachystemon Wernham Hamelia brittoniana Wernham Hamelia coccinea Sw. Hamelia corymbosa Sessé & Moc. Hamelia erecta Jacq. Hamelia intermedia Urb. & Ekman Hamelia lanuginosa M.Martens & Galeotti Hamelia latifolia Rchb. ex DC. Hamelia nodosa M.Martens & Galeotti Hamelia pedicellata Wernham Hamelia sphaerocarpa Ruiz & Pav. Hamelia suaveolens Kunth Hamelia tubiflora Wernham Hamelia verticillata Moc. & Sessé ex DC. Hamelia viridifolia Wernham Schoenleinia thyrsoidea Miers

Hamelia patens is a cool plant often called the firebush, hummingbird bush, or scarlet bush. It's a type of large shrub or small tree that belongs to the coffee family. You can find it naturally growing in warm, sunny places from Florida in the southern United States all the way down to Argentina. In some places like Belize, it's known by its Mayan name, Ix Canaan, meaning "Guardian of the Forest."

How Firebush Grows
Amazing Uses of Firebush
- Traditional Uses of Firebush
Gallery
See also

How Firebush Grows

The beautiful flowers of the firebush

The firebush has bright orangish-red flowers that look like tubes. These flowers are great at attracting hummingbirds and butterflies! These animals help the plant with pollination, which is how plants make seeds. The flowers can be different lengths, which means many different kinds of pollinators can visit them.

After the flowers, the plant grows small, dark red berries. These berries turn black when they are fully ripe. Even though the firebush might look a bit wild, it's a popular plant for gardens in warm areas. It can even grow in places with cooler weather, as long as the ground doesn't freeze.

Amazing Uses of Firebush

The firebush is very useful for many creatures! Hummingbirds love its bright flowers. Other birds enjoy eating its tasty fruit. Both hummingbirds and birds also snack on small insects they find nearby. This helps to keep garden pests under control.

Butterflies, like the statira sulphur, are also drawn to the red flowers of the firebush. The berries of the firebush are safe for humans to eat too! They have a refreshing, slightly sour taste. In Mexico, people even use these berries to make a special fermented drink.