Nature Field Guide
Firebush
- Spanish name
- Coralillo
- Scientific name
- Hamelia patens
What Do Pico & Tati Think?
Pico wants to sketch the plant’s shapes. Tati suggests looking for three clues before guessing its name. What would you notice first?
Species overview
About the Firebush
Firebush is a shrub with clusters of narrow orange to red tubular flowers. Simple leaves grow around the stems, and rounded fruits darken as they ripen. It is a good plant for watching visiting wildlife without disturbing the flowers.
Identification
Key Features of the Firebush
Narrow orange-red tubular flowers
Simple leaves often arranged in whorls
Small rounded fruits that darken with age
Habitat & range
Clearings, roadsides, forest edges and gardens.
Local observations
ACG records Guanacaste. A detailed Costa Rican flora account lists northern plains, Caribbean lowlands, Central Valley, Gulf islands and Central and South Pacific sites. Regional tags are evidence-based connections, not a guarantee at every location or an exhaustive range.
When to observe
Visit in daylight and compare leaves, flowers and fruits. Flowering and fruiting vary by place, weather and individual plant; a plant may not be in bloom during your visit.
Conservation & care
Observe from paths and leave leaves, bark, flowers and fruits attached. Do not taste wild plants or offer them to pets. Ask a knowledgeable guide to confirm the species.
Observation activity
Draw one leaf and one other feature without picking anything. Compare your sketch with the illustration and record whether you saw flowers, fruits or neither.
Explore by location
Caribbean · Central Pacific · Central Valley · Guanacaste · Northern Plains · Puntarenas & the Gulf Islands · South Pacific