A native of South America, this semi-hardy shrubby species tolerates a few degrees of frost, and thrives in climates such as the British Isles and comparable regions of North America. A closeup of the flowers on this plant, growing in the wonderful island garden of Ilnacullen in Ireland, may be seen here.
A number of different collections of the species are available from specialist growers, particularly in the UK. One, Mitraria coccinea ‘Lake Caburgua’, has somewhat larger flowers than the standard species.