Gardening Flowers & Foliage

Hey Canadian border VT
Sounds like we are talking about two different varieties of Firebush. Below is an article I found on the Firebush we have here in Zone 8 and Zone 9:

Hamelia patens is native to tropical and subtropical America where it grows to be a large shrub or small tree. It can grow to large proportions in Deep South Texas where frosts and freezes don’t kill it back to its roots. For the middle third of the state it becomes a root-hardy perennial, and for the northern parts of the state it’s best used as an annual. (Don’t be confused into thinking it will be a landscaping shrub if it freezes where you live.)

Here is photo of three Firebushes in my backyard:

 

It’s commonly called a burning bush, my mom the Sunday school teacher probably changed it I always called it a fire bush. Moreover , I have never seen it in woods and it only grows where I planted it within mile is my home