Red Flowering Tropical Bushes

Zone 9

• Average annual low temperatures in USDA zone 9 reach 20 degrees. Tropical snowballs (Dombeya spp.) are hardy in zones 9 to 11 and thrive in full sun. The tropical snowball grows to 10 feet tall and has palmate evergreen foliage. It blooms with bright red blossoms in summer and fall. The firebush (Hamelia patens) is native to Florida. This evergreen grows to 12 feet tall and has hairy, red-and-purple-speckled foliage. It produces red-orange, tubular flowers year-round. Firebushes are hardy in zones 9 to 11 and prefer full sun or partial shade.

Zone 9B

• Annual average low temperatures in USDA zone 9B reach 25 degrees. The red bauhinia (Bauhinia punctata) is hardy in zones 9B to 11. This evergreen blooms with red, orchid-like flowers in spring and summer. Red bauhinias climb from 6 to 15 feet tall, depending on their support, and grow well in full sun. The weeping bottlebrush (Callistemon viminalis) grows to 30 feet tall with a similar spread. It blooms from spring through midsummer with cylindrical, 5-inch-long red blossoms and has light-green, pendulous foliage. Weeping bottlebrush shrubs are hardy in zones 9B to 11 and prefer sunny sites.

Zone 10B

• Average lows in USDA zone 10B only dip to 35 degrees. The variegated Madagascar dragon tree (Dracaena marginata "Tricolor") is hardy in zones 10B to 11. It grows to 15 feet tall and has variegated, evergreen foliage with purple stripes. Dragon trees produce panicles of red and white flowers in summer and grow well in shady, moist sites. The peregrina (Jatropha integerrima) grows to 15 feet tall with a similar spread. This Cuban native has long foliage that grows in a variety of shapes. It blooms year-round with clusters of small bright-red flowers. Peregrinas are hardy in zones 10B to 11 and prefer full sun.

Toxic Tropical Shrubs

• Some varieties of red-blooming shrubs that thrive in the tropics are attractive but have toxic foliage, stems, fruits or seeds. Take care when using these species in landscapes where children or pets play. Oleander shrubs (Nerium oleander) are hardy in zones 9 to 11. These evergreens grow to 18 feet tall with a 15-foot spread and have dense, glossy, dark foliage. They tolerate drought and heat and thrive in full sun to partial shade. Several oleander cultivars produce red flowers year-round, including Calypso and Compte Barthelemy. All parts of oleander bushes are toxic, including the smoke if burned. The coral bean or cardinal spear (Erythrina herbacea) grows from 8 to 20 feet tall and has prickly, semi-evergreen foliage. This Florida native blooms from early to late spring with 2-foot-long racemes of tube-shaped red blossoms that attract hummingbirds. Coral beans are hardy in zones 8 to 11 and have toxic seeds.