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Odontonema
strictum * Firespike |
| Fire Spike, Odontonema
strictum has also gone under the names of Justicia coccinea and Odontonema
tubiforme. The big avocado like leaves and the stunning red blooms make
Firespike seem
very tropical. But it does very well with very little. A
Firespike plant lived for years without
irrigation in Franceschi Park in Santa Barbara on heavy soils.
Odontonema strictum made it through a
winter with minimum temperatures holding at 16 for most of the night in our
garden. It did die to
the ground but came back famously the next year. The primary bloom season
for Odontonema strictum is in the
late spring but sporadic blooms can be expected earlier and then for most of the summer
and fall. I grow Firespike in the shade but it can take some sun near the coast.
High resolution images
of Odontonema strictum are available.
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