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It all started a few years ago when I noticed beautiful red flowers on several tall plants in my neighbor’s yard. She allowed me to transplant a few of them and, ever since, dozens of these plants have grown and developed in my own garden.
The pagoda flower is an erect, open, semi-woody shrub with large evergreen leaves and large showy clusters of orange-red or scarlet flowers held above the foliage. The stems grow to 3-5 ft and they spread 2-3 feet apart, with tropical leaves as wide as 12 inches across. The flowers within the pyramid shaped cluster are tiered, like a Japanese pagoda, and the flower display lasts from summer through autumn.
During the cooler months, the upper stems appear to die and the flowers disappear, but they will sprout again in the spring. Pagoda plants produce numerous suckers and spread around the garden, but it is not considered invasive and rarely becomes a nuisance.
The pagoda flower is actually native to India, Sri Lanka and Malaysia, as well as southeastern Asia, and has become an excellent plant in many Florida gardens. They require no care, just enough space for each plant to “spread its leaves” giving the garden a tropical look.
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