Common Name: Crossandra, Firecracker Flower
Scientific Name: Crossandra infundibuliformis
Type of Plant: Perennial
Description: Crossandra plants can be thought of as slightly easier cousins of the hibiscus, though they aren’t related. Also known as firecracker flower, crossandra is native to Sri Lanka and southern India. It features narrow, oblong leaves and showy peach or coral flowers.
Mature Size: 1-3′ tall x 1-2′ wide
Blooms: Peach or Coral flowers from April-October
Fruit: no
Climate Requirements: Crossandra is among the few plants that provide months of lovely blooms in partial shade. These plants thrive best in bright, indirect sunlight. During the summertime, do not expose them to direct sunlight. Crossandra is very heat-tolerant and cold-sensitive, as befitting a plant that comes from the tropics. If the temperature goes below 55 degrees Fahrenheit, the plant can experience damage to its leaves or the top growth.
Care Requirements: Feed your crossandra with a weak liquid fertilizer every two weeks throughout the growing season. Cut fertilizer back to once a month in the winter. You can enhance the number of blooms you get from your crossandra plant by removing old and dying flowers (deadheading).
Spacing: Space plants 24-36″ apart
Water Needs: During the growing season, water frequently and never allow the soil to dry out. Crossandra plants are very susceptible to drought and like a slightly moist—but not soggy—soil at all times. Reduce the amount you water in the winter, even if you’re growing your crossandra indoors in a pot.
Maintenance: Low
Attracts: Butterflies
Special Uses/Attributes: Crossandra is especially valuable when paired with other shade-tolerant plants for color, including impatiens, coleus, and shrimp plants. Indoors, crossandra is tolerant of low light and will provide long-lasting flowers from late spring to autumn.
Florida Native: No