Hamelia patens

Firebush, Hummingbird Bush, Scarlet Bush

Message of the Flower

Matter under the Supramental Guidance

The Mother’s Comment

The condition required for its transformation.

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

Orange

Family

Rubiaceae

Cultivars

Compacta' and 'Lime Sizzler'

Person who named the flower

Carl Linnaeus

Flower Size

About 1 inch long

Flower Texture

Smooth

Number of Petals

Five (fused into a tube)

Floral Symmetry

Radial

Fragrance of Flower

Lightly fragrant

Leaf Texture

Rough, hairy

Leaf Arrangement

Whorled or opposite

Leaf Color

Green, reddish in full sun

Structural Variation (Shrub or Tree)

Shrub

Life Cycle

Perennial

Blooming Period

Year-round in tropical climates; summer to fall elsewhere

Climate

Tropical and subtropical

Water Requirements

Moderate; drought-tolerant once established

Soil Type

Adaptable, prefers well-drained

Temperature Ranges

Frost-sensitive; thrives in warm conditions

Sun or Shade

Full sun to partial shade

Susceptibility to Insects and Diseases

Resistant to many, susceptible to scale insects and sooty mold

Pollinators

Hummingbirds, butterflies, bees

Habitat

Tropical America, open woods, clearings

Role in the Ecosystem

Nectar source for pollinators, cover for wildlife

Quotations

Not typically quoted

Ornamental

Landscaping for decorative appearance, wildlife attraction

Uses in Other Aspects of Life

Ornamental, medicinal

Endangered Status

Not endangered