Kochia, botanically Bassia scoparia (formerly Kochia scoparia) and popularly called Summer Cypress, Burning Bush or Mexican Firebush, is a bushy annual grown chiefly for its ornamental foliage. It forms a neat, dense, oval-to-rounded mound of fine, soft, needle-like bright green leaves that give it the look of a clipped evergreen shrub through the warm months.
As temperatures drop towards the end of the season, the foliage flushes to brilliant shades of crimson and burgundy, giving the plant its 'burning bush' name. In India it is typically raised as a cool-season annual, sown for winter display in the north and the hills, where the colour change is most striking.
It is easy and quick to grow from seed, tolerates heat and poor soils, and is used as a bedding plant, low temporary hedge or container specimen. The flowers are tiny and insignificant; the plant is grown almost entirely for its bushy form and seasonal leaf colour.
Specifications
| Family |
Amaranthaceae |
| Native region |
Eurasia (temperate Asia and Europe) |
| Mature height |
0.6-1.2 m |
| Mature spread |
0.4-0.6 m |
| Growth rate |
Fast |
| Foliage |
Fine, soft, needle-like bright green leaves turning red/burgundy in cool weather |
| Flower colour |
Greenish, tiny and inconspicuous |
| Flower season |
Late summer to autumn |
| Climate zone |
Cool-season annual; grown in winter in the plains and through summer in the hills |
Care guide
| Sunlight |
Full sun; needs at least 6 hours of direct light for dense growth and best leaf colour. |
| Watering |
Moderate; keep soil evenly moist but well drained. Drought-tolerant once established; avoid waterlogging. |
| Soil / mix |
Adapts to most soils including poor and slightly saline ones; prefers light, well-drained loam. |
| Temperature |
Thrives at 15-30 C; tolerates heat well. Cool nights (below ~15 C) trigger the red autumn colour. |
| Humidity |
Average; tolerates dry air. No special humidity needs. |
| Fertilizer |
Light feeding only; a balanced fertiliser once a month. Rich soil gives lush but floppy growth. |
| Pruning |
Pinch young tips to encourage a denser, rounder bush. Can be lightly clipped to shape as a low hedge. |
| Repotting |
Grown as an annual, so usually not repotted; pot on seedlings once into their final container or bed. |
| Propagation |
By seed; sow on or just under the surface as light aids germination, then thin or transplant seedlings. |
| Pests & problems |
Generally trouble-free; watch for aphids and occasional leaf miners or spider mites in dry spells. |
| Toxicity / safety |
Can be toxic to livestock and pets if eaten in quantity (contains oxalates, nitrates and saponins); keep grazing animals away. |
| Difficulty |
Easy |
Uses
<ul><li>Grown as an ornamental bedding plant for its neat, bushy mound of feathery foliage.</li><li>Used as a quick, temporary low hedge or border edging in seasonal displays.</li><li>Striking autumn colour specimen in pots, balconies and terrace gardens.</li><li>Mass-planted for a uniform green-to-red ground effect in parks and public beds.</li></ul>
Growing tips
<p>In most of India sow Kochia from late September to November for a winter and early-spring display; in the hills sow in spring for a summer show.</p><p>Give it full sun and space plants about 40-50 cm apart so each can form its rounded shape. Pinch the growing tips early to build a denser bush. Avoid over-feeding and overwatering, which cause leggy, floppy growth.</p><p>For the best fiery colour, grow it where nights turn cool towards the end of the season. It self-seeds readily, so remove spent plants before seed sets if you do not want volunteers.</p>
