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Flame of the Woods

Ixora coccinea (ik-ZOR-ah kock-SIN-ee-uh)

Family: Rubiaceae Non-native Shrub

This woody, evergreen, flowering shrub native of southeast Asia has become popular in Florida, but does not tolerate temperatures below 50 degrees and may die back in other zones. It can regenerate in the spring or be grown in containers and brought indoors in the winter. However, it may become susceptible to indoor problems such as scale, thrips and mealybugs. It grows in a bushy, rounded form with 4" long, glossy, dark evergreen leaves and summer blooms of 4 petaled red flowers in 5" wide cymes. The fruits are round and dark purple to black. Ixora prefers full sun in moist, well-drained, acidic but organically rich soils. It can tolerate small amounts of shade in the afternoon heat.

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 42 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 3 - Shrub Optimal soil pH Acid (<6.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Native alternatives Schizachyrium scoparium

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Shrub
Life cycle
Perennial
USDA zones
10a, 10b, 11a, 11b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt)
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
3 feet-6 feet
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Rounded
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Oblong
Leaf feel
Glossy; Leathery
Leaf size
3-6 inches long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Glossy, dark green leaves up to 6" long.
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Orange; Pink; Red/Burgundy
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Corymb; Cyme
Flower shape
Tubular
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
2-5" loose corymb cymes
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit color
Black; Purple/Lavender
Fruit type
Capsule
Bark detail
woody
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Western & South India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh to Indo-China
Play value
Colorful; Screening
Food & Medicine
Fruit type
Capsule
Landscape Use
Garden tags
#evergreen #evergreen shrub #shrub #moist soil #yellow flowers #orange flowers #well-drained soil #red flowers #non-toxic for cats #non-toxic for horses #non-toxic for dogs #full sun tolerant #acidic soils tolerant #loamy soils tolerant #shrub border

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.