This fiery red tubular flowering plant which looks like fire crackers (Russelia Equisetiformis) is an evergreen bush, with long, thin, bright green needle-like leaves. The tubular flowers are scarlet or fiery red in colour.
This plant grows well in sunny climate. It likes moist, well-drained soil. It is quite resistant to drought and so far, there is no pest problem.
This fiery red tubular plant that is grown in the ground can grow quite tall. After a certain height, the upright stem will bend over if there is nothing to support it.
I planted my first plant in the ground and its stem can grow very long and tall. It does not need much fertilizer.
It grows easily and it is self-propagating. When its stem touches the soil, it will send out roots into the soil.
It has been raining for the last few weeks, and I have not been able to tidy up my garden or do any trimming on my plants. The stems of my plant has grown so long till they touched the ground.
Roots have started to grow from the stem and into the soil and new shoots have sprouted. They are fast growing plants. Sometimes, after trimming the plant, some of the cuttings that fell to the ground will self-propagate.
My hubby has shaped our first plant using a motorcycle wheel rim to hold the stems as they droop over like a fountain water spray full of red flowers.
This is my second plant. I planted it in a medium sized pot.
I placed a rigid plastic pipe at the center of the pot and hold the stems up by tying the stems to the plastic pipe.
I tied the stems neatly to the pvc pipe, not too tight so as not to strangle them.
I managed to get a discarded fan casing and with a pair of pliers or pincers, cut away some of the metal strips in the casing. By removing some of the metal strips, there will be bigger space for the stems to pass through.
This is how it looked like after some of the metal strips have been removed. I then tied it to the plastic pipe that has been driven into the soil in the pot.
This is how it looked like after the casing has been tied to the plastic pipe. I then gently guide the existing stems through the metal strips of the casing.
In about a few weeks, the plant started to take shape. The long stems will go through and droop downward over the casing.
More stems are growing through and drooping over the casing and flowers are starting to bloom. The bright red flowers attract humming birds with long thin beak to suck the nectar from the flowers. I can only watch from afar. I have tried to take pictures of the humming birds but the birds will fly away at the slightest movement.
Trimming will not hurt the plant but will induce more shoots to sprout forth. More stems, more flowers. More flowers will attract more birds to my garden and they will sing and make music to my ears.
The birds of the air nest by the waters;
they sing among the branches.
(Psalm 104:12, New International Version-NIV)
My heart is steadfast, O God;
I will sing and make music with all my soul.
(Psalm 108:1, New International Version-NIV)
