Scientific name, “Cuphea ignea”
From the Missouri Botanical Garden: “Native to Mexico and the West Indies, firecracker plant (also known as cigar flower) is a rounded, densely branched, bushy, evergreen sub-shrub that grows 20-30" tall and as wide. Small, tubular, bright red flowers (to 1.25" long) bloom singly in the leaf axils from late spring to frost along stems crowded with pointed, lance-shaped to ovate, dark green leaves (to 1 1/2" long). Each flower consists of a narrow, tubular, red calyx (no corolla) tipped with a thin white rim and two tiny purple-black petals, all of which is purportedly suggestive of a lit cigar (cigarette or firecracker). Flowers are attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies. Specific epithet comes from the Latin word for fire” — http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=c516
Retired economics professor (“dismal scientist”). Married 40+ years to the love of my life; we have two grown daughters, both married, two granddaughters and a...
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