Get your sunglasses, because this is one bright plant! The Marmalade Bush (Streptosolen jamesonii) is a rare tropical that's smothered in cheerful flowers throughout the year. The inch-long, trumpet-shaped blooms are a riot of colors, ranging from yellow to orange to red. This hard-to-find ornamental happens to be easy to grow, getting 6 feet across or more if left unpruned. Also known as the Fire Bush, the Marmalade Bush looks so yummy, you'll almost want to spread it on your toast!

The Marmalade Bush is an evergreen, perennial plant from South America. It has a spreading habit and can be allowed to spill over a wall or hanging planter, or pruned to a neat, upright shape. Even without blooms it's an attractive plant, with glossy, bright green foliage that has a ribbed appearance. The flowers appear almost all year long here in San Francisco, with the heaviest show from Spring through Fall. The 5-petaled blooms start out yellow or light-orange when they first open, and then deepen to a darker-orange and red as they mature. Butterflies and birds regularly visit the Marmalade Bush!

The Marmalade Bush comes from the mountains of Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, where the climate is mild all year. I have no information on how much heat it can take, but there are scattered reports of it growing in Florida and Texas. I believe it is hardy only to about 28°F (-2°C), so it will need to be brought indoors in cold-winter areas. It is easily grown in a pot in ordinary, well-draining soil. It likes mostly-sunny conditions, and regular watering & feeding. Over about 40% humidity is recommended. Full growing tips are on my website - www.StrangeWonderfulThings.com/tips164-seeds.htm. By the way, in case you're tempted to taste to the flowers, i don't know if they are edible. Like its cousin the Brugmansia, it may contain a toxin.

Click here to check availability.

For detailed growing tips about this plant, click here.