Ixora coccinea (flame of the woods, "Kobanosantanka")

Japanese name: コバノサンタンカ （小葉山丹花）
Scientific name: Ixora coccinea

[Overview]
An evergreen shrub 1.2–1.8 m tall, rarely reaching about 3 m.
It branches well and forms a rounded shape.
The leaves are simple and opposite, oblong, 3–10 cm long and 3–5 cm wide, with entire margins, leathery, glossy and stalkless.
It flowers all year round as long as the temperature is sufficient.
Well-branched, semicircular cymes 5–12 cm across bear densely packed flowers.
The flowers are scarlet and 5 cm long; the corolla is 4-lobed, and the tips of the lobes are pointed.

[Cultivation]
Propagate by cuttings.
Rooting is easy at temperatures of 20°C or higher; cut the previous year's growth into pieces of 2–3 nodes each and insert them.
It prefers a sunny, well-drained, moist, fertile, slightly acidic soil.
It needs a minimum of 10°C to overwinter and 15°C or higher to flower, so in cold regions bring it indoors to a sunny spot in winter.
In summer it grows better if moved to partial shade, such as under a tree.
For potted plants, water thoroughly from spring to autumn when the soil surface dries, and keep it on the dry side in winter.
For plants in the ground, watering is unnecessary unless sunny weather continues and the soil dries out.
From spring to autumn, apply slow-release fertilizer placed on the soil about once every 2 months.
The branches tend to become crowded, so it is good to thin them regularly.
Pinching to produce many side shoots also improves flowering.
Pests and diseases include scale insects, aphids and brown spot.

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