Plant Profile

Hamelia patens (Firebush, Scarlet Bush, Coloradillo)

Hamelia patens is a member of the Rubiaceae family also known for being the coffee family. It’s a large, soft-stemmed shrub that is capable of reaching a height of 4 meters without support. It produces showy cymes of bright reddish-orange flowers, each about 2 cm long. The fruit looks like small a red berry that turns black after maturity. This fast growing, evergreen shrub is known for attracting so many different species such as bees, butterflies, hummingbirds.

Even thought this plant is toxic, it has many medicinal applications. Depending on the country, it is used to combat or alleviate cancer, malaria, cholera, constipation, headache, jaundice, skin diseases, rheumatism and many other health problems.

  • Landscape Information
  • Botanical Description
  • Horticulture Management
  • Forest & Kim Starr [CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
  • By Quadell (Own work) [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
  • By Vinayaraj (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
  • By Jim Conrad [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
  • By Ks.mini (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
  • By Quadell (Own work) [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Forest & Kim Starr [CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

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  • Forest & Kim Starr [CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
  • By Quadell (Own work) [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
  • By Vinayaraj (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
  • By Jim Conrad [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
  • By Ks.mini (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
  • By Quadell (Own work) [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Forest & Kim Starr [CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

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  • Forest & Kim Starr [CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
  • By Quadell (Own work) [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
  • By Vinayaraj (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
  • By Jim Conrad [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
  • By Ks.mini (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
  • By Quadell (Own work) [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Forest & Kim Starr [CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

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