• Perennial Color
• Container
• Seasonal Hedge/Border

• Category: Trees & Shrubs
• Hardiness Zone: 7b
• Height: 3-5 Feet
• Spread: 3-5 Feet
• Spacing: 3-4 ft
• Bloom Color: Orange, Red

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Flame Acanthus is a heat-loving Texas native shrub prized for its brilliant orange-red tubular flowers and exceptional ability to attract hummingbirds. This deciduous perennial shrub has a naturally airy, open habit that fits beautifully into native, pollinator, and xeric landscapes. Blooming heavily from late spring through fall, Flame Acanthus provides vibrant color during the hottest months of the Texas summer when many other plants slow down. Mature plants typically reach 3–5 feet tall and wide, forming a loose rounded mound with slender stems and soft green foliage. Hardy in USDA Zones 7–10, it performs especially well throughout Central, South, and West Texas.

Flame Acanthus thrives in full sun and prefers well-drained soils, including rocky, sandy, or alkaline soils commonly found across Texas. Once established, it is highly drought tolerant and often performs better with less irrigation than too much water. Poor drainage or constantly wet soils can reduce vigor and increase winter losses. While it tolerates part shade, flowering is heaviest in full sun. This plant is well adapted to intense heat and reflected heat, making it an excellent choice for difficult locations such as parking strips, slopes, and low-water landscapes.

In the landscape, Flame Acanthus works well as a pollinator plant, informal hedge, accent shrub, or mixed perennial planting. Its long bloom season makes it especially valuable for hummingbird gardens and wildlife-friendly landscapes. Deer generally avoid it, giving it good deer tolerance in most areas. Plants can be spaced about 3–4 feet apart when mass planted. Winter freezes may cause the top growth to die back in colder areas, but established plants typically return vigorously from the roots in spring once temperatures warm.

Flame Acanthus is considered non-toxic and is widely regarded as a safe choice around pets and people. Minimal pruning is needed beyond occasional shaping or cutting back old stems in late winter before new growth begins.