On Gardening: Campfire goes smoking hot with Red Ember Bidens

Norman Winter, Tribune News Service on Jul 17, 2025

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The campfire has certainly gone through some beautiful transformation in the past three years. First there was Campfire Marshmallow in 2024 and next year it will be even hotter with Campfire Red Ember. Yes, I am talking about plants and particularly the genus Bidens.

Despite what seems to be a gazillion species of Bidens, you probably don’t know about the plant and if you do you most likely think they can’t grow where you live. There are several native to the United States. They are related to Coreopsis and have some "omg" common names like beggarticks, cobbler’s pegs and Spanish needles.

Though I took classes in graduate taxonomy, I learned a new word today that no doubt points back to those common names. The Bidens are known as zoochorous, meaning their seeds will stick to clothing and fur or feathers of animals and travel to new habitats.

The Bidens are looking indeed to be great choices for the landscape and mixed containers thanks largely to the Proven Winners Campfire series. Campfire Marshmallow with stunning white flowers and gold centers won awards like Perfect Score at University of Tennessee and Oklahoma State University. It also won an assortment of Top Performer Awards from University of Minnesota to University of Florida.

Scores haven’t come in from trials yet in 2025, but I can tell you Campfire Red Ember was bringing out the cameras at the Young’s Plant Farm Annual Garden Tour in Auburn, Alabama. Campfire Red Ember is known botanically as Bidens ferulifolia and has its roots out west in Arizona. It will get 10 inches tall, perhaps a little taller in the south with a 24-inch spread. This means it should be a little shorter than Campfire Marshmallow but with a slightly larger spread.

Proven Winners call the color fiery red with slight orange and yellow eyes. That is certainly true, and I would add it seems to be growing. One of the Young’s Plant Farm combinations was award-winning. It featured Campfire Red Ember with white begonias and gorgeous Fiesta tropical hibiscus with the same colors.

Neighbors Dave and Cynthia helped me out with personal plant trials and hit a home run. They combined Campfire Red Embers Bidens with Augusta Lavender heliotrope. The lavender blue of the heliotrope is pure complementary magic with the fiery orange red of Campfire Red Embers. Cynthia is a culinary artist so if you get to see the photo, you will notice there is a perfectly placed basil in the combo.

The Garden Guy used his Campfire Red Ember Bidens in a combination with Maestro Gold agastache and Unplugged So Blue salvia. Sadly, it is in a state of recovery after a storm with high winds knocked the pot off my rock wall. It is coming around but alas it is not photo-worthy, so wish me luck!

The maintenance is easy; fertile, well-drained soil with plenty of sun will have you in business. No deadheading is required. Use controlled release granular fertilizer at planting and that will keep you in flowers. If growing in containers with daily watering, use a diluted water-soluble mix fertilizer every two to three weeks.

Put this plant on your list for next year and by all means follow The Garden Guy on my Facebook page @NormanWinterTheGardenGuy for more photos and garden inspiration.

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(Norman Winter, horticulturist, garden speaker and author of “Tough-as-Nails Flowers for the South” and “Captivating Combinations: Color and Style in the Garden.” Follow him on Facebook @NormanWinterTheGardenGuy.)

(NOTE TO EDITORS: Norman Winter receives complimentary plants to review from the companies he covers.)