Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii, also known as Texas firecracker, is a deciduous shrub growing up to 5 feet tall and 4 feet wide. It has a spreading appearance and is native to extreme south-central Texas and adjacent northern Mexico, where it typically grows on rocky, calcareous slopes and floodplains.
The plant has slender, brittle stems, attractive, peeling bark, and small lanceolate-shaped leaves that nearly clasp. During its blooming period, it produces bright red-orange tubular flowers that are 1-1.5 inches long. These flowers appear abundantly after spring to late summer rainfall and are highly attractive to hummingbirds, butterflies, and other pollinators. Deer usually avoids this plant.
Texas firecracker thrives in medium to dry, well-draining soils in full sun. However, it is adaptable to many soil types, including poor, rocky, and heavy clay. It is drought-tolerant and can be grown in pots. Desert landscapes may need occasional but regular summer irrigation. The plant is hardy in Zones 7 to 10. In colder regions, the plant will die back to the roots and reemerge with new growth in the spring.
While pruning is unnecessary, the plant can be pruned for shaping in the fall and more severely every few years.
