If your yard is buzzing with hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees, you’re clearly hitting the gardening jackpot.
The easiest way to attract these creatures to your outdoor space is by ensuring a constant food supply. And how do you do that? By growing their favorite plants!
Plenty of plants can lure in pollinators and beneficial insects, but take it from me – there’s one that truly steals the show!
Eager for the reveal? Let’s not waste a second!
Firespike Is A Stunning Flowering Shrub Pollinators Can’t Get Enough Of!
Odontonema callistachyum aka purple firespike is one of the best plants out there for attracting all kinds of beneficial creatures to your yard.
It produces lovely tubular purple blossoms that hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies simply adore. I mean, they’re mainly into the nectar found in firespike blooms.
But that’s not the only reason why they love firespike. This plant features large leaves, which means smaller insects have shelter to hide and water to drink.
If you live in warmer climates, you’re one lucky gardener because firespikes bloom all year long. This means you’ll have a spectacular bloom display when most plants are dormant.
And don’t worry about maintenance; caring for a firespike is a piece of cake!
Ways To Grow Firespike In Your Garden
If you’re lacking ideas for adding a firespike to your garden, let me help you a little bit. The first way (and this is how I use it) is to make a privacy screen or firespike hedge. You see, this plant reaches up to 10 feet, so it’s also ideal for vertical interest.
Hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees can easily access the blossoms and you’ll have a wonderful display. It’s a win-win situation!
You can also use a firespike to make a border around your lawn or even hide some ugly spots.
Purple firespike is one of the best plants for a pollinator garden. Just make sure you select Odontonema varieties native to your particular region.
Tips For Planting A Firespike
Once you purchase a firespike, the first step is to select a suitable location. Well, you’ll need to find a well-lit spot because this plant requires a lot of full sun to produce blossoms.
Although firespike can generate flowers in partial shade, there will be way fewer of them than with full sun exposure.
If you select a variety native to your region, you don’t have to worry about your soil type. They perform best in free-draining and wet soils, but my firespike does pretty well in sandy soil.
Those who don’t have enough space can add a firespike to their container garden.
Here’s How You Take Care Of This Wonderful Shrub
The one thing everyone should know about the firespike is that it enjoys damp soil conditions. This means you’ll need to water it pretty often, especially if you live in a dry area.
But don’t worry if you forget to water it from time to time; it’ll start wilting but it’s a hardy plant and will come back to life as soon as you add water.
I don’t fertilize my firespike and it blooms abundantly all year round. But if you aren’t satisfied with the number of blooms, you can boost nutrients by adding all-purpose, slow-release fertilizer in spring.
That’s all it takes! Keep your firespike thriving, and you’ll serve up blooms for hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees year-round!