Firebush propagation

While reading the comments about this plant in Plant Files ..... I read someone saying that firebush can be grown from cuttings .... has anyone tried this and how best to do this? ....any info greatly appreciated.

Are you referring to Hamelia Patens?

yes .......... that is the one .........It is a Texas Superstar plant.

here is DG page for this plant ,,,,,,,,,

http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/1844/

This message was edited Jul 29, 2007 4:09 AM

I have the standard and the dwarf variety. I have only propagated the standard once and did get one to root. The one time I did try, I took a semi hardwood cutting. I make little propagators out of 4 in pots. I fill a 4 in pot with regular potting mix. Then take a 2 liter soda bottle and cut off the top where it goes from curve to straight. Take the cutting and put in in the soil with or without hormone supplement. Take the soda bottle and invert in over the cutting in inside the pot rim. You can seal it with tape to be sure it doesn't get knocked off but I prefer to leave it untaped so I can remove it to check for roots and let some humidity out if there gets to be too much condensation in the bottle. Then I take the whole thing and set in dish of water to water from the bottom. Put the bottom in a warm shaded location and check every few days for condensation. I have had good luck rooting some difficult plants with these little terrariums.

I have to add a comment on how easy this plant is to propagate. I have this plant in a pot and it was sitting with other plants under a pecan tree in my back yard. We had an incident where one of the pecan tree branches ( a pretty large branch) broke and fell. A part of the branch brushed on to my Firebush and broke the longest branch at the very top. I clipped it off as it was just hanging and stuck it in a mason type jar filled with water that was sitting near by and left it. After cutting up the fallen branch and disposing of it I forgot about the broken Fire bush. I've sinced noticed that it is growing developing roots in the water. So, apparently it's not that hard to propagate.

pic of my fire bush....

This plant will root in soil, but is just so easy in a jar of water. Roots in no time..Very prolific here in sw GA.

Larkie

I'll have to try some in water. I usually just toss the cuttings out when I trim.

these are the ones that are growing in my bed .......... sorry I haven't been back to this post in a while......... been very busy...thanks for the input

Has anyone tried growing from seed? I just brought in and cleaned some. Very tiny seeds.

where do u get the seeds? i did notice that after the flowers drop there are some berry like things. are those the seeds? i would love to be able to start collecting them.

When the berries turn dark purple and come off easy, they are ripe. The seeds are inside.
They are tiny tiny seeds and there are lots in each one. You have to separate them from the pulp and clean & dry them.

A better question might be 'how NOT to root this plant' - it roots SO EASILY in water, soil, or by just letting a branch lay on a pot of soil. The last method is a SURE-FIRE way to get it to root. Just leave the branch attached to the mother plant, lay the specimen plant branch on a pot of soil, and it will root. Then just cut it free, and there you go!

I found this out by accident Kay. I went to move a firebush from a corner it had out grown.
After moving it, I found several small plants with roots still attached to stems I had unknowling cut with the shovel digging around it to move. LOL

It should then be controlable if kept in a large pot; yes?

I don't find it invasive. I have had mine in as a partial hedge for several years and it has kept to itself.

This message was edited Sep 3, 2007 5:53 PM

I just took some cuttings .........and put them in water and now am hoping for roots........ I just put them in plain water, is that right?

Yes, Jataylor - change the water every three days.

how long should it take for the roots to develop on these cutting? ....... have not had much success with this as of todays date ...... may take some pics this weekend to post and ascertain if it is progressing alright ..... thanks