Scarletbush
Hamelia patens
- Native to:
- Argentina, Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Leeward Is., Mexico, Navassa Island, Nicaragua, Panamá, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Southwest Caribbean, Trinidad-Tobago, United States, Virgin Islands, Windward Is.
iNaturalist: © jonathanaguirre (iNaturalist #78544714)
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Rubiaceae
- Genus:
- Hamelia
- Species:
- Hamelia patens
- USDA Symbol:
- HAPA3
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Shrub , Tree
- Height:
- 450 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- mar,apr,may,jun,jul,aug,sep,oct,nov
- Bloom Colors:
- red, orange
- Landscaping Shrub:
- Yes
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
- Butterflies & Moths:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Bees: American bumble (Bombus pensylvanicus), Eastern Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa virginica), Two-spotted Longhorn (Melissodes bimaculatus), ⚠️Western honey bee (Apis mellifera), Xylocopa micans, Xylocopa strandi, Xylocopa tabaniformis Hummingbirds: Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri), Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) Moths:Pluto sphinx (Xylophanes pluto) Butterflies:Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae), Julia butterfly (Dione vanillae), ⚠️Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor), Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus), Zebra Longwing (Heliconius charithonia)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- hummingbirds, butterflies, bees
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Salt Tolerant:
- Yes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts vigorously from roots after fire or freeze damage.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- thrives in nutrient-rich environments
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- None required
- Germination Time:
- 14–30 days
- Notes:
- Seeds germinate readily in warm conditions without pretreatment. Fresh seed germinates best.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI