Florida's other Christmas flower is really a Mexican native known colloquially as Firespike (Odontonema cuspidatum).
In South Florida this import blooms year round. In Central and North Florida it blooms fall-winter.
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Above: A Cloudless Sulphur butterfly (Phoebis sennae) samples Firespike.
Above: A Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes) drinks from a firespike bloom.
Above: Zebra Longwing butterflies (Heliconius charitonius) flutter around a Firespike bloom.
Another non-native species blooming red at Christmas is Coral Plant (Jatropha multifida).
Also blooming for Christmas is Mexican Flamevine, pictured here with an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus).
We've Read
We've Read
Jake Naughton and Juan Anibal Sosa Iglesias reflect on joy, love and loss in their relationship through their collaborative photo book “When We Were Strangers.”
