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Embothrium coccineum

Chilean fire bush

An upright evergreen shrub or small tree, with leathery, lance-shaped leaves and clusters of narrowly tubular scarlet flowers in late spring and early summer

Other common names

Chilean flame flower

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Plant nurseries
5 suppliers

Ultimate height

4–8 metres

Time to ultimate height

10–20 years

Ultimate spread

2.5–4 metres

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing or East–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Proteaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Bushy
Genus: Embothrium are evergreen trees or shrubs, with simple leaves and showy tubular flowers with four recurved lobes
Name status: Correct
Plant range: Chile

How to grow

Cultivation

Grows well in a fertile, humus-rich soil but may require shelter from cold, drying winds. A useful woodland plant

Propagation

Propagate by seed sown at 13 to 16°C in spring or take semi-hardwood cuttings in mid-summer and root with bottom heat. Suckers can be removed in late winter

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Coastal
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Pruning group 1

Pests

May be susceptible to glasshouse red spider mite

Diseases

May be susceptible to honey fungus

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