Flame Honeysuckle

Name: Flame Honeysuckle
Brand: Outdoor Dream Builders

Anisacanthus quadrifidus

A compact, very drought-tolerant shrub with vibrant orange-red flowers that draw bees and butterflies from summer through late fall.

Hardy in USDA zones 9-11; fully root-hardy through low-desert frosts and unbothered by extreme summer heat, freezing to the ground only in the coldest snaps.

AMWUA Notes

A genuinely very-low-water Chihuahuan shrub; overwatering causes floppy growth, so lean dry for compact form.

Care Guide

💧Watering

Very drought tolerant; water every 2 weeks in peak summer for best bloom and let it go nearly dry between soaks the rest of the year.

✂️Pruning

Cut back hard to a few inches in late winter since it blooms on new wood; this keeps the small shrub tidy and floriferous.

🌱Fertilizing

Little to no fertilizer is needed; a light spring feed can boost bloom in poor soil.

🛡️Pests

Essentially pest-free in the desert garden.

☀️Seasonal Notes

Deciduous and root-hardy, it freezes back in winter and flushes new growth and orange-red tubular flowers from summer into late fall, timed to migrating hummingbirds and butterflies.

Soil, Feeding & Propagation

🪨Soil

Adaptable to most well-drained desert soils including caliche and alkaline pH 7.5-8.5.

💧Drainage

Needs well-drained soil.

🌱Nutrient Needs

Low feeder.

🌰Propagation

Easily from softwood cuttings or seed.

📐Spacing

2 ft

🌳Roots & Placement

Small, non-invasive root system; ideal beside hardscape and pools.

Placement Tips

•At only about 1-2 ft it works as a front-of-border edger or in containers; space on 2 ft centers for a low drift.
•Tuck along walkway edges and pool decking where its small size and low litter are assets.
•Mass several together for a fuller color statement, since a single plant reads small.
•Give it full sun and reflected heat, which it handles without complaint.