Bouvardia ternifolia
Firecracker Plant
Family: Rubiaceae
Deciduous shrubby perennial, growing about 4’ x 3’. Flowers can appear anytime between May and October, followed by woody capsules for fruits.
Plant in full sun to shade (avoid reflective heat), provide moderate water, hardy to 10° F.
Firecracker bush is the sole larval food plant of the Falcon Sphinx Moth, Xylophanes falco which is one of the most spectacular-looking caterpillars in southern Arizona. Look for them in August into September. This plant is hummingbird pollinated. Desert tortoises eat the leaves and flowers.
The foliage contains Bouvardin which has demonstrated certain anti-cancerous activities.
Bouvardia is named for Charles Bouvard (1572-1658) who was superintendent of the Jardin du Roi in Paris; ternifolia means 3-leaved, referring to the whorls of three leaves per node, though there are also sometimes 4 leaves per node in this species.
There are about 58 species of Bouvardia in the Americas, some have entered the tropical house plant trade. This is the most famous one in the United States, as an ornamental in the southern portion of the country.
Found on rocky slopes and canyon bottoms from 2,500-8,000 ft. in southern Arizona, southern Mexico, southern Texas; south into southern Mexico.