Firecracker flower adds pop
With summer here in full force, it is outdoor entertaining season for many of us. And that means adding flourishes of color for the deck or living room. There is no end of fine choices for such a floral accent but here is one that many may not be familiar with — firecracker flower. That intriguing common name is attached to its tongue-twister botanical name: Crossandra infundibuliformis.
Hailing from tropical regions of India and Sri Lanka, where given the warmth and humidity it grows prolifically, this frost tender subshrub will typically top out at 2 feet in our temperate zones. It features attractively glossy, dark green, ovate leaves 3 to 5 inches long. The shiny leaves provide an effective backdrop for the clusters of 1¼-inch, salmon-orange, fan-shaped flowers. People will describe the color in different ways but the hue reminds me of orange sherbet. The flowers are striking enough to add a splash of color to a table or stand but soft enough to blend in with their environment. And flowers you will have, as firecracker flower blooms over a very long period.
Crossandra is somewhat unique for many houseplants in that when grown outdoors it likes full sun. Many people will choose to situate this plant in a container, so that it can be brought indoors during the colder months. It can also be planted in the ground and grown as an annual. Although it hails from the tropics, crossandra’s beauty has a universal appeal. In the ground it would fit right into a perennial bed, where it will offer handsome foliage and a parade of eye-catching flowers. Contrast it with sun-loving, purple perennials like caryopteris, shorter salvias and heliotropium or complement it with the fall colors of rudbeckias and heleniums.