Fire spike: Flowering plant of the month

Common name: Fire spike.

Latin name: Odontonema strictum.

Planting months: Can be planted year-round.

Light requirements: Part shade/part sun.

Soil requirements: Acidic, slightly alkaline, sand and loam.

Flowers: Red and lavender (which might be hard to find); fall and winter flowering.

Leaf color: Green; no fall color change.

Height/spread: 2 to 6 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide. Spread continues unless pruned on occasion.

Plant spacing: 24 to 36 inches.

Note: This Florida naturalized herbaceous perennial dies back at end of the growing season. It has long, dark green leaves with spikes of tubular red flowers that appear in the fall and winter. It attracts hummingbirds and butterflies and is good for mass plantings and cut flowers. It's pest and disease resistant.