It was indeed. I was standing in front of the visitor center at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island when I overheard this exclamation from a boy of about eight. The bush was Hamelia patens, better known as firebush, and sometimes known as scarlet bush, hummingbird bush and by a host of other names.

Capable of growing to nearly 15 feet, firebush can stand alone as a butterfly magnet, or it can be pruned and used in hedges. Either way, firebush will produce showy, reddish-orange to scarlet clusters of flowers year-round. Each inch-long tubular flower is a fairy goblet in which nectar is continuously replenished and the dozens of flowers in each cluster host a continual dance of butterflies. Those at Ding Darling were Florida's state butterfly, the zebra, which depends on passion flowers when young but favors firebush as an adult.

Wintering hummingbirds love the nectar provided by firebush. which produces flowers for its own needs-to attract pollinators. Scarlet flowers become juicy, black berries that summon another workforce to continue the firebush cycle: Birds consume the berries and help spread firebush seed.

Although readily available at Florida nurseries, firebush is native from south Florida through the West Indies, Mexico, Central America and much of South America. As a Florida native, firebush is drought tolerant and low maintenance. It does well in full sun, but also thrives in partial shade.