Pronounciation: An-is-a-CAN-thus qua-dri-FI-dus variety WRIGH-tee-i

Hardiness zones
Sunset 5-24
USDA 7 (freezes to ground each year), 8 (deciduous), 9 (semi-evergreen)-11

Landscape Use: Use in oasis and xeric landscape gardens as a border accent and a strong attractor of hummingbirds.

Form & Character: Upright and not rounded, an informal, free and easy shrub that is typically (except when sheared by 'horticultural clods' - aka 'hort clods') festive, informal, warm, and inviting.

Growth Habit: In Phoenix, Texas firecracker is a partially deciduous to evergreen, semi-woody perennial shrub (depending on winter cold), upright and stiff to somewhat sprawling, 3 to 5 feet in height with similar spread.

Foliage/Texture: Small, medium to dark gree leaves, lanceolate, smooth, glaborous, light green when young, nearly sessile to 3-inches long, brittle stems; medium fine texture.

Flowers & Fruits: Many, showy reddish-orange tubular flowers; fruit an inconspicuous brown capsule with black seeds.

Seasonal Color: Blooms during much of warm growing season, most heavily in spring and late summer/early autumn.

Temperature: Texas firecracker has no problem with the Phoenix heat, and will respond to Phoenix winter cold by reddening its foliage and/or becoming quiescent.

Light: Full to partial sun or light shade, no dense or heavy shade.

Soil: Tolerant of some soil alkalinity.

Watering: Supplemental irrigations in desert areas are needed during summer months, otherwise water sparingly.

Pruning: Practice severe renewal pruning to most any extent of larger plants every few years. Another strategy is to occassionally make light heading cuts of individual stems at differents lengths within the canopy to promote an informal growth habit. But whatever you decide to do, DON'T be a 'hort clod'! DO NOT SHEAR Texas firecracker shrubs.

Propagation: Mostly by cutting, some seed.

Disease and Pests: None

Additional comments: In the Phoenix area, Texas firecracker is seldom seen. It is a surprisingly serviceable informal shrub with a light floral accent for most any oasis or xeric garden theme. Its flowers strongly attracts hummingbirds. Older plants have a unique shedding bark character. This wonderful shrub should be grown more often by local nursery operators and used more by local landscape designers.

Taxonomic tidbit: The varietal name of this plant was given in honor of Charles Wright (1811-1885), a world-renowned botanical collector who mainly collected plant specimens in Texas, Cuba and his native Connecticut.