Firecracker Plant – Russelia equisetiformis (Coral Fountain, Scarlet Hummingbird Flowers, Live Starter Plant)

The Firecracker Plant (Russelia equisetiformis), also called Coral Fountain, is a showstopping tropical that lives up to its name. Slender, bright green, rush-like stems arch and cascade into a graceful fountain shape, covered from spring through fall in clusters of scarlet, tubular flowers that look just like tiny firecrackers. Hummingbirds and butterflies can’t resist them, making the Firecracker Plant a must-have for tropical, pollinator, and coastal gardens — and a spectacular spiller for hanging baskets and walls.

Why Grow a Firecracker Plant?

• Hummingbird & butterfly magnet – the scarlet tubular blooms are a top nectar source for hummingbirds and butterflies.
• Long bloom season – reliable coral-red color from spring through fall, and nearly year-round in frost-free climates.
• Beautiful cascading form – arching, rush-like stems spill gracefully over walls, baskets, and containers like a living fountain.
• Tough & coastal-friendly – notably salt-tolerant, heat-tolerant, and drought-tolerant once established.
• Versatile – use it as a tall border, trained to a trellis, spilling over raised beds, or overwintered indoors as a houseplant.

Looking for more flowering color and texture? Browse our Flowering Plants and Groundcovers & Border Plants collections.

Plant Specifications at a Glance

• Botanical name: Russelia equisetiformis (firecracker plant, coral fountain, coral plant, fountainbush)
• Plant type: Tender, semi-evergreen, weeping tropical subshrub (perennial in warm zones)
• Plant family: Plantaginaceae (the plantain family)
• Mature size: about 2–4 feet tall and 3–5 feet wide, in a cascading, fountain-like mound
• Flowers: Clusters of scarlet, tubular, firecracker-like blooms about 1 inch long, spring through fall
• Wildlife: A favorite of hummingbirds and butterflies
• Notable traits: Salt-tolerant, heat-tolerant, drought-tolerant once established
• Cold Hardiness Zones: 9–11 (not frost-hardy; can be overwintered indoors)

Firecracker Plant Care & Growing Guide

This easy tropical rewards a sunny spot with months of color. Follow these guidelines:

• Sunlight: Full sun to partial shade. In hot inland areas, a little afternoon shade is appreciated; full sun gives the heaviest bloom.
• Water: Water regularly when the top 3 inches of soil are dry, especially while it establishes. Once mature, it’s drought-tolerant, but avoid both soggy soil and prolonged bone-dry spells.
• Soil: Rich, well-drained soil. It adapts to most soil types as long as drainage is good.
• Feeding: Fertilize regularly through the growing season for the best growth and bloom.
• Cold Hardiness Zone: 9–11. It won’t survive hard frost — in colder areas, grow it in a container and bring it indoors to a warm, sunny spot for winter.
• Pruning: Prune in late winter or early spring to refresh the plant and keep its cascading form tidy.

Good to know: in frost-free regions, the firecracker plant can spread and naturalize, so give it room or grow it in containers if you’d like to keep it contained.

Ways to Use Firecracker Plant in the Landscape

• Hanging baskets, window boxes, and containers where the stems can cascade
• Spilling over walls, raised beds, and slopes
• Tall borders or trained to a trellis
• Hummingbird, butterfly, tropical, and coastal gardens
• Poolside and patio accents; overwintered indoors as a flowering houseplant

It pairs beautifully with other nectar-rich, sun-loving plants. Gardeners often combine it with the bird-friendly Red Cluster Bottlebrush, the orange Bulbine Hallmark Orange, or the purple-flowered Dwarf Tibouchina.

What You’ll Receive

These are live Firecracker Plant starter plants grown and shipped by Carlos Plant Farm. Plants are less than 12 inches tall when we ship them. The photos in this listing depict mature plants of the correct species so you can see how they will look as they grow and bloom. Choose your preferred plant bundle size using the options above.

Due to different state laws, we reserve the right to charge extra fees in order to comply with those laws if necessary.

Terms of the Sale

Please read the following terms of the sale completely. The customer agrees to all of the following when purchasing from Carlo’s Plant Farm:

• All sales are final. All orders are insured against damage or loss.
• The customer assumes all risk of loss or damage once USPS takes possession. If the order is damaged in any way during shipping, the customer agrees to file an insurance claim. Carlo’s Plant Farm agrees to assist the customer in filling out the form.
• Once your order is shipped, we offer no cancellation refund at all.
• We reserve the right to delay shipping due to extreme heat or cold.
• If you are unhappy with your order for any reason, you agree to contact us as soon as possible. The customer agrees not to publish a negative review before contacting us. If you post a negative review before contacting us, we will ask you to take down the review and remind you of this terms of sale agreement.

In purchasing from Carlo’s Plant Farm, the customer acknowledges, understands, and agrees with all the above terms of the sale.