Odontonema strictum

Cardinal's Guard, Firespike

Message of the Flower

Matter Aspiring for the Supramental Guidance

The Mother’s Comment

Dissatisfied and troubled, matter asks for a powerful guide to put it in order.

Spiritual Message by the Mother/ Quotes by Sri Aurobindo

A resplendent sun rises above the horizon. It is your Lord that comes to you.

The whole world awakes and stretches in delight at the contact of His glory.

As the earth that heaves and opens, as the tree that grows, as the flower that blossoms, as the bird that sings, as the man that loves, let His light permeate you and radiate in an ever-increasing and widening happiness, a happiness steadily moving onward as the stars move in heaven.

The Mother, Words of the Mother - III: Soar High

In Matter shall be lit the spirit’s glow,
In body and body kindled the sacred birth; Night shall awake to the anthem of the stars, The days become a happy pilgrim march, Our will a force of the Eternal’s power, And thought the rays of a spiritual sun.

Sri Aurobindo, Savitri - I: The Secret Knowledge

The Spirit shall look out through Matter’s gaze And Matter shall reveal the Spirit’s face.

Sri Aurobindo, Savitri - II: The Eternal Day: The Soul's Choice and the Supreme Consummation

Colour

Red

Family

Acanthaceae

Cultivars

Not widely reported

Flower Size

Small flowers, spikes up to 12 inches

Flower Texture

Smooth

Number of Petals

5

Floral Symmetry

Bilateral

Fragrance of Flower

Mild to no fragrance

Leaf Texture

Glossy

Leaf Arrangement

Opposite

Leaf Color

Dark green

Structural Variation (Shrub or Tree)

Shrub

Life Cycle

Perennial in tropical climates

Blooming Period

Late summer to fall

Climate

Tropical to subtropical

Water Requirements

Moderate

Soil Type

Loamy, well-drained

Temperature Ranges

Warm, frost-sensitive

Sun or Shade

Full sun to partial shade

Susceptibility to Insects and Diseases

Aphids, scale insects

Pollinators

Hummingbirds, butterflies

Habitat

Central America

Role in the Ecosystem

Nectar for pollinators

Quotations

Not commonly quoted

Ornamental

Landscape and garden design

Uses in Other Aspects of Life

Primarily ornamental

Endangered Status

Not listed as endangered