Shrubs with red flowers are among the most eye-catching plants in a landscape because of the intensity and vibrancy of their blooms. Red is a color that symbolizes energy, warmth, and passion, and when it appears in gardens, it instantly draws attention. These shrubs create strong focal points, whether planted as standalone specimens or grouped together for a dramatic effect.
Also, their brightly colored blooms are highly attractive to pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Some stay compact, ideal for borders or small gardens, while others grow larger and serve as hedges, screens, or anchor plants in landscaping. Some shrubs burst into red blooms during spring, signaling renewal and growth, while others provide color in the heat of summer or even into fall.
Shrubs With Red Flowers
Camellia (Red varieties)
Red-flowering camellias such as Camellia japonica ‘Adolphe Audusson’ and ‘Bob Hope’ produce large, waxy, rose-like blooms of deep crimson and scarlet in late winter and early spring, when the garden is at its most starved of colour. Their dark, lustrous evergreen foliage provides a magnificent foil for the vivid flowers, and few sights in the late winter garden are more dramatic or uplifting than a mature camellia in full, glorious bloom.
Rhododendron (Red varieties)
Red rhododendrons such as Rhododendron ‘Nova Zembla’ and ‘Taurus’ produce spectacular, large trusses of deep crimson to scarlet flowers in spring, creating a breathtaking display against their bold, evergreen foliage. They are among the most dramatic and eye-catching of all spring-flowering shrubs, and a well-grown specimen in full bloom is one of the most magnificent sights the garden has to offer at any time of year.
Azalea (Red varieties)
Red-flowering azaleas, both deciduous and evergreen, produce vivid, fiery blooms in spring that can light up an entire garden border with their intensity. Deciduous varieties such as Rhododendron ‘Gibraltar’ produce blazing orange-red flowers, while evergreen types like Rhododendron ‘Hino-crimson’ offer neat, compact plants smothered in small but brilliantly coloured blooms that create a carpet of pure colour in the spring garden.
Weigela (Red varieties)
Red-flowering weigelas such as Weigela florida ‘Red Prince’ and ‘Bristol Ruby’ produce masses of trumpet-shaped, deep crimson flowers in late spring and early summer that are highly attractive to hummingbirds and long-tongued bees. Many red weigela varieties also boast rich, dark burgundy foliage that provides a dramatic and intense contrast to the vivid flowers, making them among the most striking of all deciduous summer shrubs.
Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles – Red varieties)
Red-flowering quinces such as Chaenomeles speciosa ‘Crimson and Gold’ and ‘Nicoline’ produce vibrant, cup-shaped blooms of deep scarlet and crimson on bare or leafing stems in early spring, bringing a welcome flash of bold colour to the garden. The striking flowers, with their prominent golden stamens, are followed later in the year by fragrant, apple-like fruits that can be used to make excellent jellies and preserves.
Rose of Sharon (Red Hibiscus syriacus varieties)
Red and deep crimson forms of Hibiscus syriacus, such as ‘Woodbridge’ and ‘Red Heart’, produce large, elegant, hollyhock-like flowers from late summer well into autumn, long after most other flowering shrubs have finished for the year. This late blooming season makes red hibiscus particularly valuable in the garden, providing vivid colour and interest at a time when the garden is beginning its seasonal decline.
Fuchsia
Fuchsia is one of the most distinctive and recognisable of all flowering shrubs, producing elegant, pendant, two-toned flowers in combinations of red, pink, and purple from summer through to the first frosts of autumn. Hardy fuchsias such as Fuchsia magellanica can form substantial garden shrubs in mild climates, their gracefully drooping scarlet and purple flowers dancing in the breeze and attracting hummingbirds and long-tongued bees with extraordinary reliability.
Callistemon (Red Bottlebrush)
The red bottlebrush is a spectacular Australian native shrub that produces extraordinary, cylindrical flower spikes composed of hundreds of long, vivid crimson stamens that give the blooms their unmistakable bottlebrush appearance. These stunning flowers are irresistible to nectar-feeding birds and are produced with remarkable generosity throughout the warmer months, making red callistemon one of the most eye-catching and wildlife-friendly of all garden shrubs.
Grevillea (Red varieties)
Red-flowering grevilleas such as Grevillea banksii and Grevillea ‘Robyn Gordon’ produce extraordinary, spider-like clusters of vivid red flowers on arching stems throughout much of the year in warm climates. These striking Australian natives are enormously popular with nectar-feeding birds such as honeyeaters and lorikeets, and their bold, exotic-looking blooms and finely cut foliage give them a dramatic, tropical presence in the garden.
Lagerstroemia (Red Crape Myrtle)
Red crape myrtles such as Lagerstroemia indica ‘Dynamite’ and ‘Red Rocket’ produce spectacular, dense clusters of ruffled, crepe-textured crimson flowers throughout summer, making them among the most dramatic and colourful of all warm-climate flowering shrubs. Their attractive, peeling, multi-coloured bark provides year-round interest, and their outstanding autumn foliage colour in shades of orange and red ensures they remain ornamental long after their magnificent summer flowering season has ended.
Bouvardia (Red varieties)
Red-flowering bouvardias produce clusters of small, tubular, scarlet flowers on upright stems almost continuously in warm climates, making them among the longest-blooming of all tropical and subtropical garden shrubs. They are highly prized by florists for their elegant, long-lasting cut flowers, and in the garden their vivid red blooms are reliable hummingbird magnets that bring constant life and movement to warm, sheltered borders.
Salvia (Shrubby Red varieties)
Shrubby red salvias such as Salvia microphylla ‘Hot Lips’, Salvia greggii, and the majestic Salvia involucrata produce long spikes or clusters of vivid red or crimson tubular flowers from summer through to late autumn. These drought-tolerant, sun-loving shrubs are among the most valuable of all late-season garden plants, providing rich colour and abundant nectar for hummingbirds and butterflies well into the cooler months of the year.
Punica granatum (Pomegranate)
The pomegranate is a spectacular deciduous shrub that produces large, crinkled, vivid orange-red flowers of extraordinary brilliance in summer, followed by the familiar, globe-shaped, edible fruits in autumn. Cultivated for thousands of years and revered across many cultures as a symbol of fertility, abundance, and prosperity, the pomegranate is one of the oldest and most historically significant of all flowering and fruiting shrubs.
Escallonia (Red varieties)
Red-flowering escallonias such as Escallonia ‘Crimson Spire’ and Escallonia rubra produce masses of small, tubular, deep crimson flowers on arching evergreen stems from early summer through to autumn. These robust and adaptable shrubs are particularly valued for their exceptional tolerance of salt-laden coastal winds, making them the backbone of many seaside gardens where they form colourful, wind-resistant hedges of great practical and ornamental value.
Chaenomeles japonica (Japanese Quince)
The Japanese quince is a low-growing, spreading deciduous shrub that produces vivid, cup-shaped flowers in shades of deep orange-red and scarlet in early spring, often on bare stems before the leaves have fully emerged. Its early flowering season, combined with its compact, spreading habit and extraordinary toughness in difficult conditions, makes it one of the most reliable and rewarding of all spring-flowering shrubs for the garden.
Ixora
Ixora is a popular tropical and subtropical evergreen shrub that produces dense, rounded clusters of small, tubular, vivid red flowers almost continuously throughout the warmer months, making it one of the most prolific and colourful of all flowering shrubs in tropical gardens. Known as the jungle geranium or flame of the woods, it is widely used in formal hedging, mass plantings, and container displays across warm climates around the world.
Tecoma (Red varieties)
Red-flowering tecomaspecies and hybrids such as Tecoma ‘Bells of Fire’ produce clusters of long, tubular, deep orange-red trumpet flowers from summer through to autumn in warm climates. These vigorous, sun-loving shrubs grow quickly into large, impressive specimens that are enormously attractive to hummingbirds, and their bold, tropical appearance brings an exotic and vibrant character to warm garden landscapes.
Bougainvillea (Shrubby Red varieties)
While bougainvillea is best known as a climber, it can also be grown and maintained as a large, spectacular shrub, producing masses of vivid, papery bracts in shades of crimson, scarlet, and magenta that smother the plant almost continuously in warm climates. Few plants can rival the sheer exuberance and intensity of a well-grown red bougainvillea in full bloom, and in tropical and subtropical gardens it is among the most dramatic and attention-commanding of all ornamental plants.
Cestrum elegans (Red Cestrum)
Red cestrum is a vigorous, arching evergreen shrub that produces drooping clusters of small, tubular, deep crimson-red flowers almost continuously throughout the year in warm climates. The flowers are followed by attractive, dark red berries that add further ornamental interest, and the plant’s generous, near-continuous blooming habit makes it one of the most rewarding and long-lasting of all flowering shrubs in warm and tropical gardens.
Jacobinia (Justicia carnea – Red varieties)
Justicia, commonly known as the Brazilian plume flower or flamingo plant, produces spectacular, upright plumes of tubular red or deep coral-red flowers above bold, deeply veined, tropical-looking foliage. It is a stunning shrub for shaded, humid garden areas in warm climates, or for growing as a houseplant or conservatory specimen in cooler regions, where its exotic, lush appearance and vivid blooms never fail to impress.
Pentas lanceolata (Red Star Flower)
Red pentas is a bushy tropical shrub that produces dense, rounded clusters of small, star-shaped, vivid red flowers almost continuously throughout the warmer months. It is one of the most reliable and long-blooming of all tropical flowering shrubs and is enormously popular in warm-climate gardens as a border plant, container subject, and butterfly-attracting plant, its vivid red flowers being particularly irresistible to monarch butterflies and swallowtails.
Hamelia patens (Firebush)
Firebush is a spectacular tropical and subtropical shrub that produces clusters of tubular, vivid orange-red flowers throughout the growing season, attracting hummingbirds and butterflies in impressive numbers. Its foliage takes on beautiful reddish and orange tints as the season progresses, and the combination of colourful leaves, vivid flowers, and attractive berries in black and red makes firebush one of the most ornamentally versatile of all warm-climate garden shrubs.
Russelia equisetiformis (Firecracker Plant)
The firecracker plant is a graceful, cascading shrub with slender, rush-like stems that produce a near-continuous display of small, tubular, scarlet-red flowers that dangle from the arching branches like strings of tiny firecrackers. It is a superb plant for walls, banks, and raised beds in warm climates where its weeping, fountain-like form and vivid red blooms create a spectacular and distinctive visual effect.
Calliandra haematocephala (Red Powder Puff)
The red powder puff is one of the most exotic and flamboyant of all tropical flowering shrubs, producing extraordinary, spherical flower heads composed entirely of long, vivid crimson stamens that give the blooms the appearance of luxurious, silky pompoms. These remarkable flowers are produced in abundance throughout the warmer months and are irresistible to hummingbirds, sunbirds, and butterflies, making the red powder puff one of the most wildlife-friendly of all tropical garden plants.
Nerium oleander (Red varieties)
Red-flowering oleanders such as Nerium oleander ‘General Pershing’ and ‘Hardy Red’ produce clusters of vivid, funnel-shaped crimson and scarlet flowers throughout the long summer months in warm and Mediterranean climates. Despite being highly toxic in all its parts, oleander is one of the most widely grown of all warm-climate ornamental shrubs, valued for its exceptional tolerance of heat, drought, and salt spray and its generous, long-lasting floral display.
Salvia splendens (Scarlet Sage)
Scarlet sage, though often grown as an annual, can develop into a woody, shrubby plant in frost-free climates, producing vivid spikes of brilliant scarlet flowers with persistent red calyces throughout the warmer months. Its intense, almost luminous red colour makes it one of the most visually arresting of all flowering plants, and it is widely used in formal bedding displays, container plantings, and warm-climate garden borders around the world.
Tibouchina (Red and crimson varieties)
While most tibouchinas produce purple or violet flowers, some varieties and related species produce deep crimson-red blooms of great richness and saturation on soft-stemmed, large-leaved shrubs. These lush, tropical-looking plants thrive in warm, sheltered gardens and conservatories, where their velvety, jewel-toned flowers and bold, felted foliage give them an opulent, sumptuous character unmatched by most other flowering shrubs.
Leptospermum (Red Tea Tree)
Red-flowering leptospermums such as Leptospermum scoparium ‘Red Damask’ and ‘Burgundy Queen’ produce masses of small but perfectly formed, jewel-like red flowers that smother the entire plant in a breathtaking floral display in late spring and early summer. These Australian and New Zealand natives are compact, fine-textured evergreen shrubs that thrive in well-drained, slightly acidic soils and are particularly well-suited to coastal gardens.
Graptophyllum pictum (Caricature Plant)
The caricature plant is a colourful tropical shrub grown both for its strikingly variegated foliage and for its spikes of tubular, bright red flowers that emerge from the branch tips in warm months. Native to New Guinea and the Pacific Islands, it is a popular ornamental in tropical gardens and as a houseplant in cooler climates, where its vivid leaf markings and cheerful red flowers make it one of the most distinctive and eye-catching of all tropical foliage and flowering plants.
Cuphea (Red varieties)
Red-flowering cupheas such as Cuphea ignea (cigar plant) produce masses of small, tubular, vivid red flowers with a dark tip that gives each bloom the appearance of a tiny glowing cigar. These cheerful, compact shrubs bloom prolifically throughout the warmer months and are enormously popular as container plants, edging subjects, and butterfly garden plants, their tubular flowers being particularly attractive to hummingbirds and long-tongued insects.
Erythrina (Coral Tree)
The coral tree is a spectacular large shrub or small tree from tropical and subtropical regions that produces dramatic spikes of large, vivid scarlet, claw-shaped flowers in late winter and spring, often on bare branches before the leaves emerge. Its bold, architectural form, fierce thorns, and extraordinary flowers give it a powerful, dramatic presence in the garden, and in warm climates it is one of the most impressive and attention-commanding of all flowering shrubs and trees.
Protea (Red varieties)
Red-flowering proteas such as Protea neriifolia in its red-tipped forms produce magnificent, oversized flower heads with pointed, deep red or crimson bracts surrounding a central cone of flowers, creating an effect that is simultaneously exotic, dramatic, and architectural. Native to South Africa, these bold and distinctive shrubs thrive in hot, dry, well-drained conditions and are among the most striking and sought-after cut flowers in the global floristry trade.
Banksia coccinea (Scarlet Banksia)
Scarlet banksia is a magnificent Western Australian native shrub that produces extraordinary, cylindrical flower spikes in vivid shades of red and grey-blue, making it one of the most visually distinctive and sought-after of all banksia species. Its bold, serrated, evergreen foliage and dramatic flower spikes make it a striking specimen plant for warm, well-drained gardens, and it is highly prized by florists worldwide for its unusual and long-lasting cut flowers.
Brunfelsia (Red-toned varieties)
While most brunfelsias produce purple and white flowers, some related species and hybrids in the Solanaceae family produce warm, red-toned tubular blooms in tropical garden settings. These evergreen shrubs are popular in warm-climate gardens for their attractive foliage and colourful flowers, and they thrive in rich, moist, well-drained soils in sheltered positions with partial shade.
Crossandra infundibuliformis (Firecracker Flower)
The firecracker flower is a beautiful tropical and subtropical shrub that produces spikes of vivid orange-red, fan-shaped flowers above glossy, wave-edged foliage almost continuously throughout the warmer months. It is a popular garden plant in tropical climates and a well-loved houseplant in cooler regions, valued for its long blooming season, attractive foliage, and its ability to flower reliably even in the lower light conditions of an indoor environment.
Mimulus aurantiacus (Red Monkeyflower)
The red monkeyflower is a Californian native shrub that produces a generous succession of tubular, deep red to brick-red flowers with distinctive, flaring petals on upright, sticky-stemmed plants from spring through to autumn. It thrives in hot, dry, well-drained conditions and is an excellent choice for Mediterranean-style gardens, dry slopes, and coastal plantings where its cheerful flowers provide a long season of colour with minimal water requirements.
Loropetalum (Red varieties)
Red and deep crimson forms of loropetalum, though rare compared to the common pink varieties, produce striking, spidery, ribbon-like flowers against their deep burgundy foliage, creating a richly coloured and distinctive garden plant. These evergreen Chinese shrubs are prized for their year-round foliage colour and are increasingly popular in contemporary garden design, where their rich, dark tones provide a dramatic and sophisticated contrast to lighter-coloured companion plants.
Embothrium coccineum (Chilean Fire Bush)
The Chilean fire bush is one of the most spectacular of all flowering shrubs, producing an almost unbelievable profusion of long, tubular, vivid scarlet-orange flowers in late spring that cover the entire plant so completely as to transform it into a blazing pillar of fire. Native to the forests of Chile and Argentina, it is a plant of extraordinary beauty and drama that thrives in cool, moist, acidic conditions, rewarding the gardener who provides the right conditions with one of the most magnificent floral displays in the entire plant kingdom.
Kolkwitzia amabilis (Pink-Red Beautybush)
While typically known for its soft pink flowers, some cultivars of beautybush produce deeper, more saturated blooms with distinctly reddish-pink tones and vivid red calyces that provide colour long after the petals have fallen. This graceful, arching deciduous shrub is draped in trumpet-shaped flowers in late spring, and its combination of beautiful blooms, attractive peeling bark, and easy cultivation has earned it a well-deserved reputation as one of the most reliable and rewarding of all flowering shrubs.
Euphorbia fulgens (Scarlet Plume)
Scarlet plume is a slender, arching tropical shrub that produces long, graceful stems lined with small, vivid scarlet bracts that make them spectacular both in the garden and as long-lasting cut flowers. Native to Mexico, it is widely grown by florists and in warm-climate gardens for its elegant, arching habit and the brilliant intensity of its red bracts, which provide colour and ornamental interest throughout the cooler months of the year.
Spirea (Red and crimson varieties)
Red and deep pink spirea varieties such as Spiraea japonica ‘Anthony Waterer’ and ‘Goldflame’ produce flat-topped clusters of tiny, deep crimson-red flowers in summer above mounds of attractively coloured foliage. These compact, reliable, and extremely hardy deciduous shrubs are among the most widely grown of all garden plants, performing beautifully in a wide range of conditions and providing reliable summer colour with minimal care and attention.
Distictis buccinatoria (Blood-Red Trumpet Vine – Shrubby forms)
When grown as a large, free-standing shrub rather than a climber, blood-red trumpet vine produces spectacular clusters of large, trumpet-shaped flowers in vivid shades of orange-red that age to deep crimson as the blooms mature. This vigorous, sun-loving plant from Mexico thrives in warm, sheltered positions in the garden and is one of the most dramatically colourful of all flowering plants for warm climates.
Acalypha hispida (Red Hot Cat’s Tail)
The red hot cat’s tail is an extraordinary tropical shrub that produces long, pendulous, catkin-like spikes of tiny, vivid crimson-red flowers that can reach up to fifty centimetres in length, drooping from the branch tips like exotic feather boas. This bold and theatrical plant is a popular ornamental in tropical gardens and as a conservatory specimen in cooler climates, where its remarkable flower spikes invariably attract astonished admiration from visitors.
Turk’s Cap (Malvaviscus arboreus)
Turk’s cap is a charming, shade-tolerant shrub that produces distinctive, never-fully-opening, twisted red flowers that resemble small turbans or furled umbrellas throughout the warmer months. Native to the Americas, it is a tough, adaptable plant that thrives in conditions ranging from full sun to deep shade and is one of the most reliable of all hummingbird-attracting garden shrubs, the tubular red flowers being perfectly designed for hummingbird pollination.
Brownea grandiceps (Rose of Venezuela)
The rose of Venezuela is a magnificent tropical shrub that produces enormous, globular flower heads of densely packed, vivid scarlet-orange tubular flowers that emerge dramatically from large, papery bracts, creating one of the most spectacular floral displays of any tropical plant. Native to the forests of Venezuela and Trinidad, it is grown as a prized ornamental in tropical gardens worldwide, where its extraordinary flowers are regarded as among the most beautiful and dramatic produced by any shrub or tree.
Iochroma coccineum (Red Iochroma)
Red iochroma is a fast-growing tropical shrub that produces drooping clusters of long, tubular, vivid scarlet flowers in abundance throughout the warmer months, making it one of the most prolific and spectacular of all hummingbird-attracting plants. Its soft, velvety, large leaves give it a lush, tropical appearance, and its generous flowering habit and easy cultivation in warm, sheltered gardens make it an increasingly popular choice for gardeners seeking dramatic, exotic colour in a relatively undemanding plant.
Bouvardia ternifolia (Scarlet Bouvardia)
Scarlet bouvardia is a wiry, upright Mexican native shrub that produces clusters of narrow, tubular, brilliant scarlet flowers on slender stems from late summer through to early winter. It is one of the most important late-season flowering shrubs for hummingbirds, providing a vital source of nectar during the autumn migration period, and its vivid red flowers stand out with particular intensity in the lower, more golden light of the autumn garden.
Tecomaria capensis (Cape Honeysuckle)
Cape honeysuckle is a vigorous, scrambling evergreen shrub from South Africa that produces clusters of long, tubular, vivid orange-red flowers in abundance from autumn through to spring, providing invaluable colour during the cooler months when many other shrubs are dormant. It is an enormously versatile and easy-to-grow plant that can be trained as a climber, clipped as a hedge, or left to sprawl freely as a ground cover, and its vivid flowers are a magnet for sunbirds and hummingbirds wherever it is grown.
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (Red Chinese Hibiscus)
The red Chinese hibiscus is perhaps the quintessential tropical flowering shrub, producing enormous, plate-sized flowers of brilliant scarlet with a prominent, central column of golden stamens throughout the warm months in a display of almost absurd floral generosity. Grown in gardens and as a potted plant across the tropical and subtropical world, it is a plant of extraordinary beauty and cultural significance, serving as the national flower of Malaysia and a symbol of tropical splendour worldwide.
Bauhinia (Red varieties)
Red-flowering bauhinias such as Bauhinia galpinii (the red orchid tree) produce clusters of large, orchid-like flowers of rich brick-red to scarlet in summer and autumn, displayed against attractive, twin-lobed, butterfly-shaped leaves that are highly distinctive and ornamental in their own right. These spectacular tropical and subtropical shrubs or small trees are among the most beautiful and exotic-looking of all flowering plants for warm climates, combining bold, striking flowers with handsome foliage in a plant of undeniable drama and presence.