Fire Spikes Plant (odontonema strictum)

ABOUT THIS PLANT Fire Spikes Plant (odontonema strictum) – 4 feet tall when mature with shiny dark green leaves of 7 to 8 inches. Beautiful 12 inch tall terminal spikes of tubular, brilliant red flowers appear on Fire Spike in the fall and winter. These vibrant flowers attract hummingbirds and several species of butterflies. Odontonema is native to the semi-forested areas of Central America. Our plants allow you to enjoy large blooms in the first year or so. All the Fire Spikes plants we offer are healthy, vigorous, well rooted and grown right here in our nursery. Truly a better plant! The growth rate, bloom size and color of Fire Spikes will vary greatly depending on soil type, sunlight, temperature and other factors. A few leaves are often trimmed prior to shipping to reduce transpiration and travel stress. QUICK SPECS OUTDOOR Zone 8a-11 PATIO Zone 4a-11 SOIL TYPE Rich Moist % SUN 75-95% POT SIZE 2x2x7″ Deep INCLUDES One Plant PLANT CARE These plants are easy to grow and produce abundant, lightly scented flowers. Fire Spikes will grow happily and flower in a pot or in-ground. They add a beautiful accent to any outdoor space, garden or patio. In cooler zones a containerized plants can be relocated indoors for the winter months. When you receive your new Fire Spikes, there is no need to worry about planting right away. Your new plant can be stored for a while by simply placing it in a bucket with about a half inch of water and moving it to a shady location, simply keep moist. This will give you plenty of time to select the ideal location for your new plant. CONTAINER SIZE All varieties grow very well in containers, indoors or on the patio. Smaller varieties grow best indoors in 10″ to 14″ diameter pots while larger varieties need enough room for growth, generally a 14″ to a 24″ diameter, 14″ deep container will suffice. Remember the looser the roots, the taller and healthier your Fire Spikes will be. When the plant becomes root bound its growth will slow, at that point it is time for a larger pot. SOIL Fire Spikes plants enjoy a well drained, general potting mix easily found at your local box store. Remember try to stay away from arid or wet, mucky soils. FERTILIZER To help establish your new Fire Spikes plant, fertilize sparingly six to ten inches away from the base, tri-annually with a slow time released product. Unfertilized they will tend to grow at a slower pace. Note: The heavy salts in cheaper fertilizers will damage the roots and possibly kill the plant. Its best to use a brand you know and trust. GROW ZONE & LIGHT Best outdoors if grown in zone 8a-11, find your zone here. This Fire Spikes requires 75-95% sunlight. Depending on your location partial sun is often best. In the northern end of their grow zone Fire Spikes plants should be brought indoors or protected during the winter months. The patio zone is 4a-11 which means the potted plant will flourish over the summer months in colder zones but must be brought inside before winter. BEFORE YOU PLANT OUTDOORS At the nursery these plants are grown under 20-40% shade cloth. If you plant this Fire Spikes in a brightly lit area you may experience leaf burn. It is best to acclimate this plant to its environment by keeping it outside and slowly moving it into a sunny area over a week or two to avoid stress before planting. WHAT IS THE SHIPPING SIZE All Fire Spikes for sale will vary in size. In the spring, plants are often smaller than plants shipped in the fall. Plants designated with a sku ending in -4, -6 or -8 will arrive in a standard 4 inch, 6 inch or 8 inch round growers pot respectively. Our new, reusable, recyclable deep plugs are 7 or 9 inches deep and 2 or 2.5 inches in width. Products growing in these pots are easy to transplant and allow for deeper roots and faster growth, they are designated with a sku ending in -7 or -9. (Note: The item sku number can be found just below the buy button.) The color and style of these pots may vary. If we are out of a particular size item, we may ship a larger size at no additional charge. For more information, click the “best packaging” link at the bottom of this page. Note: Before leaving, plants are inspected, watered, and pruned. Larger plants, generally those that ship in 8″ pots, will be topped to 36″ or 48″ overall, depending on the variety, if necessary, to facilitate shipping. Your new plants’ pot is then bagged to ensure that the soil stays in the pot and not loose in the box. Plants are tissue or kraft paper wrapped and generally secured in place with natural biodegradable peanuts. You may want to order your Fire Spikes Plant (odontonema strictum) online now while they are in stock, supplies are limited. Zone.8a Zone.8b Zone.9a Zone.9b Zone.10a Zone.10b Zone.11a Zone.11b

Size Guide