Pockets of these flowers starting in June are hard to miss on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It has clusters of tubular, vase-shaped flowers.
Flowers vary in color from yellow to orange to bright red.
This is a native plant and naturally used as an ornamental locally and other places, as long as its placed in its favorite acid soil. There is some discussion that it actually might be an escapee plant from records in the 1700's. The moniker of flame comes from not only the bright color of these flowers, but if you catch them early enough in the season the unopened buds can look like orange-red candles.