Name:
Odontonema strictum (Cardinal Guard/Firespike)
Sun:
Full Sun to mostly shade
Soil:
Moist, well drained soil
Mature height:
6 feet
Bloom time:
Flowers midsummer to frost
Dormancy time:
Dies back with hard freeze
Comments:
These straight, smooth, green herbaceous stems bear opposite shiny undulate leaves in a 6 foot high clump. In the autumn spikes of fire-red tubular flowers rise high above the foliage until the first freeze when the whole plant dies back. They will come back in the spring.