Other Names:  Gambelia speciosa, Showy Greenbright

Description:

An excellent accent shrub or hedge for dry, shady areas; attracts hummingbirds; highly adaptable and tolerates clay, salt, and wind; prune to maintain density and shape

Ornamental Features

Firecracker Island Snapdragon features showy clusters of scarlet tubular flowers at the ends of the branches from late spring to early fall. The flowers are excellent for cutting. It has light green evergreen foliage. The fuzzy oval leaves remain light green throughout the winter.

Landscape Attributes

Firecracker Island Snapdragon is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a shapely form and gracefully arching branches. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This shrub will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It is a good choice for attracting bees, butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Firecracker Island Snapdragon is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Firecracker Island Snapdragon will grow to be about 4 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 5 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years.

This shrub should be grown in a location with partial shade or which is shaded from the hot afternoon sun. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist growing conditions, but will not tolerate any standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for xeriscaping or the moisture-conserving landscape. It is not particular as to soil type or pH, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selection of a native North American species.

Firecracker Island Snapdragon makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its height, it is often used as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.