Firecracker plant: A showstopping pollinator plant that resembles fireworks

If I’m being honest, the hardest part of writing this column each week is deciding what plant to write about. Once I’ve decided what to write about and why it makes sense to choose that particular plant for that particular week, everything else comes pretty quickly. Sometimes I write about something pretty I noticed in the Arboretum that morning, or something that caught my eye on the way to work, and other times I try to make a witty connection of some sort. If I’d been more on my game, I could have written a column on July 4th about any of several plants called ‘Fireworks’ – Fireworks Goldenrod or Fireworks Gomphrena, for example. Since I missed that opportunity, I’ll try the next best thing – writing about the Firecracker plant, Dicliptera squarrosa, a month after July 4th.

The Firecracker plant, also known as the Hummingbird plant, is a heat- and drought-tolerant summer-blooming perennial flower that is native to South America. From July through early September, it is loaded with small, trumpet-shaped orange flowers. The flowers occur at the tip of each stem and are clustered together, resembling a burst of sparks from a firecracker. The Firecracker plant will grow to a height and width of about 18-24 inches. Leaves are grayish-green and feel fuzzy due to the presence of leaf hairs.

Top: The vivid orange-red flowers of the Firecracker plant occur at the tip of each stem and are clustered together, resembling a burst of sparks from a firecracker. Photo: JCRA: JC Raulston Arboretum. Left: Cuttings from the Firecracker plant can be overwintered indoors and planted in the spring. Photo: D.J. Stang, CC BY-SA 4.0. Right: Since the plants grow upright, they can be squeezed in with other flowering plants.

Like many plants with an abundance of leaf hairs, the Firecracker plant is able to regulate its moisture level to increase drought tolerance. When I’ve tried to grow this plant at home in the past, I’ve been unsuccessful due to planting it in rich soil and providing too much water. Here at the Arboretum, we have it planted in our Fire Hydrant Garden, a small flower bed at the edge of the curb surrounding a fire hydrant. The soil is sandy, and it is intensely hot due to the proximity to paved surfaces. This plant thrives here. Many plants with leaf hairs also have at least some level of deer resistance, as the leaves tend to be less palatable to deer.  

As the other common name, Hummingbird plant, implies, this plant is a favorite of hummingbirds as well as butterflies. Like many plants that are a favorite of these pollinators, the nectaries (structures in plants that secrete nectar) hidden deep in the flowers are a good match for extended mouth parts. This plant can easily be incorporated into a pollinator-themed garden, but is also fit for a drought-tolerant planting or a mixed-perennial planting. Because of its high drought tolerance, it is also a good option for containers and baskets, provided they are not filled with a heavy potting soil.

The Firecracker plant is best suited for full sun. It can tolerate partial shade, but it will flower less the more shade it is exposed to, thus the sunnier the better. While you might think that it’s South American heritage would make it tender in our winters, it is actually a reliable perennial to zone 7A, tolerating winter temperatures as low as 0 degrees Fahrenheit. In fact, it is evergreen in our climate, so not only will it survive the winter but it retains its leaves throughout.   

Matthew Stevens is the County Extension Director and Horticulture Agent for North Carolina Cooperative Extension’s Pitt County Center. If you have questions about this article or gardening in general, please contact the Pitt County Extension Master Gardeners at [email protected] or 252-902-1705.