Dicliptera suberecta

Dicliptera suberecta is a member of the acanthus family, Acanthaceae, and hails from the grasslands of Uruguay and Argentina, a heritage that shows in a love of heat, sun, and lean soil. Gardeners know the plant by two names that between them tell the whole story: Uruguayan firecracker plant, for the volley of tubular blooms, and hummingbird plant, for the traffic those blooms draw.

The foliage charms first. Soft, velvety, and washed a cool bluish-grey, the leaves and stems carry a fine down that catches the light and reads almost silver in a sunny border. From midsummer into fall the mound erupts in clusters of narrow, tubular flowers in warm coral and brick-red, held at the branch tips like small fireworks caught mid-burst. Each bloom is shaped precisely for a hummingbird's bill, and the plant earns the common name daily through the hottest months.

For all the delicacy of the coloring, this is a tough, forgiving perennial subshrub. Heat, humidity, and drought scarcely trouble a settled plant, and the silvery leaves stay handsome even between flushes of bloom. In the cooler end of the range the top growth dies back and returns from the base in spring, so a winter mulch and a little patience are all the plant asks.

In the garden, use Dicliptera suberecta at the front of a sunny, well-drained border, spilling over a wall or path edge, or in a container or hanging basket where the coral flowers can dangle at eye level. The soft grey mound cools hotter neighbors and pairs easily with salvias, agastache, and ornamental grasses in a pollinator or cottage planting. Set the plant where the hummingbirds can be watched from a window, and expect an audience all summer.