shrub
Ixora (flame of the woods)
Ixora coccinea
Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.
Ixora (flame of the woods) is an evergreen shrub hardy in zones 10–11. Expect 3–6 ft of height and 3–5 ft of spread; our lists space it 3.5 ft apart. It does best in full sun to part shade with average water. Expect red, orange and pink flowers in April to November. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the structure role: a shrub that holds the bed's shape at the back all year. Deer may browse it when other food is short, and it is not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Our rules leave it out of lists in the Desert Southwest and California, where summer heat, humidity or mild winters hold it back even inside its zone range.
Facts from our plant table
- Botanical name
- Ixora coccinea
- Plant type
- Shrub, evergreen
- Hardiness zones
- 10 to 11
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours); Part sun (4–6 hours); Part shade (2–4 hours)
- Water
- Medium
- Soil
- Needs acidic soil; leaves yellow (iron chlorosis) in alkaline soil.
- Mature size
- 3–6 ft tall × 3–5 ft wide
- Spacing
- 3.5 ft apart (centre to centre)
- Growth rate
- Medium
- Bloom
- Apr–Nov · red, orange and pink
- Roles in a bed
- Structure, Filler
- Styles
- classic, cottage, modern
- Deer resistance
- Medium: browsed when deer are hungry
- Pets
- Not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. ASPCA lists Ixora coccinea (Flame of the Woods) as non-toxic to dogs and cats (aspca.org search result, 2026-11).
- Native to
- Not native to the US (or a garden hybrid)
- Pot size and price
- 3-gallon pot, typically $20–$35 (easy to find)
- Plant in
- Spring
- First-year watering
- Water deeply once or twice a week through the first summer, more in heat waves, so the root ball never dries out.
- Pruning
- Trim lightly after a flush of bloom; avoid hard shearing, which removes flower buds.
Sources: UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions and EDIS fact sheets; ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list; Southeastern extension deer-resistance lists (UGA, Clemson, UF/IFAS); state noxious weed lists / Invasive Plant Atlas of the US; typical 2026 US garden-centre and big-box listings. Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.
Good companions
Our list engine hasn't picked Ixora (flame of the woods) as a main plant in any sample bed yet: in every condition we tried, another plant won its slot. It can still appear in your own list when it fits your yard best.
If you can't find it
Plants that do the same job and pass the same rules for the conditions Ixora (flame of the woods) suits.
How this page was made
This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.
Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.
Sources
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
- ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
- Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
- State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
- Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)
Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants