Backyard Surprise, A Hidden Firespike Plant

It’s June and I am not spending much time in the yard because of the heat. I check the vegetable gardens and so some watering and weeding as needed, but try to be done by 8:00am.

As I was walking past an overgrown area (where the Beautyberry Bush also grows), a bright red flower caught my eye. It was back along the fence line. We’d had a palm tree taken down by the power company because it was growing too close to the power lines – the power company insisted on removing it. The Firespike plant was found just to the right of that palm tree.

I knew that with the palm gone, more sunlight would hit a previously shady area. I was hoping some of the small hidden trees would be able to grow better. I never thought I would eventually find a beautiful, red-flowering plant.

Walking through the growth meant keeping an eye out for bugs, spiders, snakes and fire ants. I had to cut and pull the vines out of the way. This is not the right time of year to be clearing growth, but I had to see what was growing back there.

June vs. January House View From Woods

The neighbors behind us put up a new white fence, but they left the old one there! At least there is a fence, and we didn’t have to buy one.

When I got to the plant, I had no idea what it was. I had to cut off the vines that were attempting to strangle it. I took a photo and my iPhone plant identifier came up with this, “Odontonema cuspidatum, the mottled toothedthread, the Cardinal’s guard, or the firespike“.

Propagating the Firespike

At first, when I saw both tall and short flowering stems, I believed they might be separate plants. I was hoping to dig up a small plant and transplant it to my yard.

But those shorter looking plants were really just long stems laying on their side. This must be a very hardy plant to have thrived so long in tough conditions.

I took one cutting, of some new growth along one of the stems. Hopefully I will be able to propagate this beautiful shrub. If this cutting does well, I will take more. I put the stem into coconut coir. Updates to come.

Signs of Animals

There was a pile of sand next to the Firespike and I thought it might be an ant hill. As I was taking photos of the Firespike I noticed a hole beneath the dead palm tree trunk just next to the plant. At some point an animal had pushed all that sand out to make a burrow for himself.

If I had to guess, I would say it was an armadillo’s home. We used to see some little armadillos in the yard when we first moved here. Then, the two lots next door were cleared completely and I’m betting they lost their ability to survive. But, I can’t get started on that….

I didn’t see any signs of something being in that hole. It may have been hiding, or away at the time. Or the hole could be deserted.

The Vines

This is an area of my yard where the growth is crazy this time of year. Each winter, when the vines die back, I do some clean up here. Mostly I try to control the vine growth, which can overtake young trees and shrubs and pull them to the ground. Much of the Firespike was also wrapped up in vines.

There is also a shorter plant next to the Firespike and I think it is the same thing. I found this plant in the same area where the Beautyberry bush is growing. Now, I wonder if this part of the yard was once a flower garden.

I’m guessing that the Firespike is a hummingbird attractor!

UF IFAS Firespike Plant about page

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