''Hamelia patens'' is a large evergreen

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

shrub or small tree in the family

Rubiaceae Rubiaceae () is a family (biology), family of flowering plants, commonly known as the coffee, madder, or bedstraw family. It consists of terrestrial trees, shrubs, lianas, or herbs that are recognizable by simple, opposite leaves with Petiole ( ...

, that is native to the American subtropics and tropics. Its range extends from

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

in the southern United States to as far south as Argentina. Common names include firebush, hummingbird bush, scarlet bush, and redhead. In Belize, this plant's Mayan name is Ix Canaan and is also known as "Guardian of the Forest".

Growth

Firebush has orangish-red tubular flowers, which recruit hummingbirds and butterflies for pollination. (2003)
Horticulture Update - Firebush (''Hamelia patens'')
. Version of June 2003. Retrieved 2009-08-25. The corollas vary greatly in length, making them attractive to a wide range of pollinators. The fruit is a small dark red

berry A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples of berries in the cul ...

, turning black at maturity. Despite its somewhat scraggy appearance, this is a valuable garden tree in warmer climates and even in temperate ones, as long as the soil remains above freezing.

Uses

Hummingbirds are attracted by its flowers and other birds feed on the fruit, both of which will also forage on small insects found in the vicinity, helping to keep down pests. These flowers are also fed on by butterflies, such as the statira sulphur (''

Aphrissa statira ''Aphrissa statira'', the statira sulphur, is a species of Lepidoptera in the family ''Pieridae''. The species is a medium-sized yellow butterfly, with females more pale than males. They are found from southern regions of Florida and Texas throug ...

''), which are attracted to red flowering plants. The fruits have a refreshing, acidic taste and are also edible by humans; in Mexico, they are made into a fermented drink.

Folk medicine

The plants are used in folk medicine for a range of ailments.

Chemical constituents

A number of active compounds have been found in firebush, including maruquine, isomaruquine, pteropodine, isopteropodine, palmirine, rumberine, seneciophylline and stigmast-4-ene-3,6-dione. (2007)
Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases - ''Hamelia patens''
. Retrieved 2007-09-19. The bark contains significant amounts of

tannin Tannins (or tannoids) are a class of astringent, polyphenolic biomolecules that bind to and Precipitation (chemistry), precipitate proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids. The term ''tannin'' is widel ...

Gallery

File:Hamelia patens at Kanhangad 01.jpg, Inflorescence File:Hamelia patens- firebush-hummingbird bush-scarlet bush- redhead 02.jpg, Flowers File:Hamelia patens 1225.jpg, Foliage File:Hamelia-patens-2019-5-11 12-17-7-01.jpg, Pollen of Hamelia patens (Size: ~38 microns)

References

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q4919655 patens Flora of the Caribbean Flora of Florida Flora of Mexico Flora of Central America Flora of Southern America Medicinal plants of Central America Medicinal plants of North America Medicinal plants of South America Plants described in 1763 Butterfly food plants Garden plants of North America Garden plants of South America Taxa named by Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin Flora without expected TNC conservation status