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Plant Selector Guide
Kochia scoparia (Burning Bush, Firebush, Summer Cypress)

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Plant Type: Annual
Uses: Ornamental, Border, Foliage, Container
Propagation: Seeds
Habit: Upright, Bushy
Light: Full Sun
Blooms: Summer, Autumn
Width: 2 - 3 ft.
Height: 3 ft.
Fertility: Rich, Moderately Rich, Average
Soil: Neutral, Well-Drained
Zone: 1 - 11

Half-hardy Annual. This upright, bushy annual is grown for its foliage, which is a soft green in the spring and summer and turns to a fiery, deep red in the autumn. The narrow leaves are long and needle-like and are reminiscent of the leaves of the cypress tree, hence one of the common names. This plant does bloom, but the flowers are insignificant compared to its value as a seasonal foliage landscape plant. In warm climates the plants can become nuisance weeds since they reproduce readily by distributing their seeds. Burning bushes are often used to make low hedges and screens though they last but one season. You can shear the mature plants, just as you would any hedge, to achieve a desired height or shape. They are good for windy locations, so are sometimes grown in containers on balconies. They require plenty of sun in dry to average soil for optimum coloration and will tolerate very hot weather.