The purple fire spike (Odontonema callistachyum) serves as a mecca for pollinators and is a striking addition to any garden. It is known for its vibrant, tubular flowers that bloom in stunning shades of purple. This substantial and eye-catching plant adds extravagant color to your landscape and attracts pollinators. Bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds are irresistibly drawn to its nectar-rich blossoms, making the purple firespike an excellent choice for gardeners looking to support local wildlife. The purple version of the plant is also the most rare and adds a unique color to your garden.
In this article, we’ll explore the best practices for growing and maintaining purple fire spike plants, ensuring your garden becomes a thriving haven for pollinators.
Here is some help in gardening for pollinators: What the Butterflies Want.
The Fire Spike Blossoms-Colors And Size
The blossoms on this plant are quite spectacular, large and well distributed throughout the plant. The colors are excellent. The red is a bright ruby-like color and the purple species seems to have some variety. Some appear to be a true purple and the plant in our butterfly garden blooms in a rich magenta color.
Are There Two Firespike Plants?
Yes, and the most common plant is the Scarlet Fire spike Plant (Odontonema cuspidatum), sometimes called Cardinal Guard or Scarlet Flame. The purple fire spike is a little harder to find and is a different species of this valuable plant. In both cases, these are substantial (4-6’tall) shrubs with shiny dense green foliage, and substantial foot-long spikes consisting of inch-long tubular flowers. (If you think you can get hummingbirds with this you are right!) Both color fire spikes are valuable to gardeners in zones 8-11. Pick the version that suits your color scheme.
The two fire spike colors are in the same Genus. A genus is a group of plants with similar characteristics and contains a species group. A species is a group of similar organisms, it is the most basic unit of biological classification.
For some help with the classification and naming of plants read the link below, so you get the ones you want. The two color fire spike plants are the same genus but different species.
If you want to buy yourself a purple fire spike plant look for Odontonema callistachyum (not Odontonema cuspidatum or strictum which will get you the red one. Most of the literature on the firespike plants refers to the red version but almost everything I find is applicable to both species.
https://toptropicals.com/catalog/uid/This company Top Tropicals carries the plant, not far from my Florida garden and has useful information to share. they ship to California, Texas, Loiusiana and Arizona.
Read Latin for Gardeners: How to Read and Remember Plant Names. It includes my little tricks for remembering names.
Fire Spike in Our Garden
The Purple Fire Spike Plant In Our South Florida Garden
We garden in Zone 10 in South Florida and have used the plant in a pollinator garden for several years. Our plant, in the purple species, is a vivid shade of magenta and people and pollinators love it. Our standard water and fertilizer routine suits it and it is energetically pruned in the springtime. The fire spike is described as a winter bloomer but ours does bloom in summer as it grows back following the pruning.
One of the tricks to pollinator gardening is finding nectar all season long. In our garden, butterflies are in flight for 12 months per year. The long bloom season of the fire spike is a great addition to the pollinator garden.
A little more rare, and quite spectacular in color, the purple version is worth more attention than it is getting!
Growing the Purple Firespike (Odontonema callistachyum) is a fantastic way to attract pollinators like hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees to your garden. Here’s a detailed guide to help you get started:
Planting Purple Firespike
Where To Put Your Purple Fire Spike Plant
- Light: Choose a spot with full sun to partial shade. More sunlight encourages more blooms. The plant will accept partial shade, our large fire spike is planted near a palm and blooms fully. However, too much shade will create a leggy plant with fewer blooms.
- Soil: Prefers rich, well-draining soil. Slightly acidic to neutral pH is ideal. Sandy soils are also tolerated.
- Aesthetics: As a large shrub, you can use this behind lower plant material, at the center or rear of a planting bed. We find that it is a constant attractor of hummingbirds. They are fun to watch, put the plants where you can enjoy them.
- Companion Plants: Consider star and pinwheel jasmine, and yellow allamanda as smaller companions and fire bush, bird of paradise, and palm varieties as larger companions.
- As A Potted Plant: You can use a planter for fire spike which will allow you to bring the plant indoors. Consider the dwarf variety for container growing as they can be difficult to transplant successfully. Plants in containers require more water than other plants.
How To Plant A Firespike
- Prepare the Soil: Enrich the soil with compost to improve fertility and drainage.
- Planting Depth: Dig a hole twice the width of the root ball and just as deep. Place the plant in the hole and backfill with soil.
- Spacing: Plant fire spikes 24 to 36 inches apart to allow for growth and airflow.
How To Care For Your Fires Spike Plant
Watering
- Frequency: Keep the soil consistently moist, especially during hot weather. Water daily in dry climates.
- Mulching: Apply a layer of mulch around the base to retain moisture and regulate soil temperature.
Fertilizing
- Type: Use a balanced, general-purpose fertilizer in early spring to promote growth.
- Frequency: Fertilize sparingly, as firespikes do not require heavy feeding.
Temperature and Humidity
- Climate: Thrives in warm, humid conditions. Ideal for USDA zones 8-11. In zones 8a through 9b freezing conditions may cause the plant to die back to the ground. Mulch the plant for protections, it will regrow in the spring.
- Frost: Tolerates light frost but heavy frost can be fatal. Consider bringing potted plants indoors during cold periods. How to Acclimate Plants Between The Garden and Indoors.
Pruning is Important
- Timing: Prune in late winter or early spring to encourage bushier growth and more blooms. This is a large plant and an annual deep pruning will maintain its shape.
- Method: Remove dead or damaged stems and trim back to maintain shape1.
Attracting Pollinators
- Flowers: The deep purple, tubular flowers are highly attractive to hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees.
- Bloom Time: Firespikes bloom from summer to fall, providing a long-lasting food source for pollinators.
Additional Tips
- Propagation: Easily propagated from cuttings. Take cuttings in spring or early summer and root them in moist soil3.
- Pests and Diseases: Generally pest-free, but keep an eye out for common garden pests and treat as necessary.
- The firespike is a large shrub, it can reach 6′ tall. However, the plant is very dense and only about 2-3′ wide. It does not require a large garden. Properly pruned each spring it is a perfect addition to our small pollinator garden.
Where We Got The Firespike Plant
The fire spike is native to Central and South America and has naturalized in Florida. To say that a plant is naturalized, means that it can grow and reproduce in the wild on its own. It is a popular plant in all parts of Florida.
Where We Can Expect To Grow It
The plant will perform in Southern parts of California and Texas and along the Gulf Coast. It also grows as a perennial in the very Southern areas of Georgia. Here are some links to the regional use of the plant.
The Port St Lucie Fl Botanical Garden
Firespikes in Georgia from UGA
Purple fire spike is a delightful plant to incorporate into your garden. Its vibrant flowers, substantial height, and long blooming season will add color to your garden space and at the same time create a haven for butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. We are only now beginning to understand that even very small gardens can make a significant impact on local ecosystems.
If you can follow the simple tips in this guide you can create a space for wildlife and give yourself a long season of pleasure in the garden.
Is this an idea you can use for your garden?