Russelia equisetiformis , or the Coral plant, is a deciduous, branching, tropical shrub measuring four feet by five feet at maturity that flowers profusely with small decumbent. or trailing, red flowers. Its arching branches and graceful form can make it appear as a fountain of bright red blooms. It does not do well outdoors at temperatures below 41 degrees F; however, it can be grown in pots or baskets, in which case it should be brought indoors during the winter and treated as a houseplant in a warm, sunny site. As a houseplant, the Coral plant will continue to flower through the winter. You can also cut the plant back hard and store in a dark, cool, and dry site for placement outside in the spring. The plant grows easily in average, well-drained, soil and does best in medium moisture. Established plants, however, do well in dry soils and moist soils such as at the edge of a pond. You should, however, place the plant in a location that shelters it from wind. The form of the Coral plant is cascading and stems can root as the bend and touch the soil. The rooted stems offer an opportunity to repot them as new plants. The Coral plant is a popular nectar plant for hummingbirds and butterflies and is moderately salt tolerant. Diseases, Insects, and Other Plant Problems: No serious insect or disease problems.
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.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Occasionally Wet
Available space
3 feet-6 feet
Mature size
Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in. | Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 5 ft. 0 in.
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Arching; Cascading
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Needles
Leaf arrangement
Whorled
Leaf shape
Obovate
Leaf size
< 1 inch long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Small, needle-like medium green leaves (to 1/2 inch long).
Flower color
Red/Burgundy
Flower value
Long Bloom Season; Showy
Flower form
Cyme
Flower shape
Tubular
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
Flowers freely from late spring to frost. Will continue to flower into winter if taken indoors and treated as a houseplant. Bright red flowers in drooping terminal cymes.
Bloom time
Fall; Spring; Summer; Winter
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit detail
broadly ovoid, beaked by persistent style
Stem detail
Cut stems of overwintered houseplants to soil level in spring and place outdoors.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Mexico
Wildlife value
Flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies.
Attracts
Butterflies; Hummingbirds
Food & Medicine
Fruit type
Capsule
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Hanging Baskets; Houseplants; Rock Wall; Walkways