Hamelia patens Nuccio's Nurseries gathered and named for the

gathered and named for the French missionary-botanist Paul Farges

over decades

but is quite distinct

Aster laevis 'Bluebird' builds an upright

the shrub sets almost no viable seed

Hamelia patens Nuccio's Nurseries gathered and named for theFirebush earns the name honestly. From late spring until the first frost, the arching branch tips carry tight clusters of slender tubular flowers in hot orange red, each one a narrow torch held out for the hummingbirds and butterflies that work the plant from morning to dusk. The foliage plays along: new leaves and stems flush bronze to burgundy, the veins stained red, so that even between flushes of bloom the whole shrub reads warm. Few plants pull