Flame Acanthus

Flame Acanthus is a perennial shrub native to Edwards Plateau, South Texas Plains, Trans-Pecos. It grows best in full sun with low water needs.

Flame Acanthus (Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii), also called Hummingbird Bush, is a Texas Hill Country native that blooms orange-red tubular flowers from June through frost. It is dog-safe (Flame Acanthus is not on the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center toxic plant list for dogs, cats, or horses) and is one of the most reliable hummingbird shrubs for late-summer bloom.

The plant stays 3-5 feet tall, dies back in hard freezes and returns from the roots in spring, and competes successfully against Bermuda grass and weeds once established. Hummingbirds and butterflies (especially Janais Patch) compete for the flowers, and Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center lists it among the top hummingbird plants for Central and South Texas.

Ecoregion notes for Texas. In the Edwards Plateau and South Texas Plains (alkaline rocky soil, 15-25 inches of rain): native and ideal. Plant in full sun, water deeply twice during the establishment summer, then leave it. In the Trans-Pecos (Chihuahuan Desert): native and tough; full sun and minimal water. In the Blackland Prairie (DFW, Austin, San Antonio metros, heavy clay): plant on a raised berm or in well-drained soil; clay tolerance is moderate. In the Pineywoods: not recommended; too acidic and too humid.

Cut back hard in late winter (down to 6 inches) for the fullest spring growth and bloom. Flame Acanthus is one of the few Texas natives that flowers heavily in August and September when most other plants are dormant from heat. Pair with Autumn Sage, Turk's Cap, and Mealy Blue Sage for a hummingbird-and-butterfly bed that blooms from spring through fall.

Bee species data compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, Discover Life, and the USGS Native Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab. Plant-pollinator associations informed by published ecological literature.