Cigar plant (Cuphea ignea): This tender, low-growing perennial does best in USDA zones 10 to 12, and the burgundy blooms put on a show from late spring to fall.

Native to the Americas, Cuphea is a large genus with over 200 species of brightly colored flowering plants to choose from.

And then, of course, the staunch woody shrubs we call orange bells and yellow bells (Tecoma Stans varieties) are bursting with blooms, as is cigar plant (Cuphea ignea). Another way to bring color ...