Crossandra infundibuliformis (Firecracker Flower)

Native to parts of eastern Africa, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, this plant is an evergreen shrub reaching about three feet tall in cultivation. Its glossy, oval to lance-shaped leaves have wavy margins. Dense flower spikes carry overlapping green bracts from which orange, salmon or yellow flowers emerge, each with a narrow tube and five unequal, spreading lobes. The small capsules contain four seeds and burst open when moistened, giving the plant its common name. Grown in tropical gardens and as a pot plant, the species holds the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit. In India and Sri Lanka, its flowers are combined with jasmine to adorn hair. Photographed in the Valley of Cauca, Colombia.