Cuphea
( KEW - fee - uh )
At-A-Glance InformationThis is a group of evergreen shrubs, groundcovers and woody perennials that need regular water and full sun to partial shade to perform well. Their bright flowers will attract hummingbirds and butterflies to the garden. Native to Mexico and Central America, they can be used during the warmer months of the year in flower beds, along borders and pathways, and in containers.
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Cuphea Species and Varietals
The genus Cuphea contains about 260 species of annual and perennial plants that can be either woody or herbaceous. It is a member of the plant family Lythraceae, making it a relative of Lagerstroemia. The Cuphea grows best in zones 16-24, H1 and H2. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.
Cuphea hyssopifolia (False Heather, Hawaiian Heather, Mexican Heather, Elfin Herb) Gets to 1-2 feet tall and 2.5 feet wide, and has flexible branches and narrow long leaves. Tiny flowers can be pink, purple, or white. Varieties include plants in the 'Itsy Bitsy' series (which grow to 8 inches tall and 18 inches wide and make great groundcovers and are used in rock gardens), 'Carribean Sunset' (gets to 2 feet tall with orange blooms), 'Riverdene Gold' (gets to 1 foot tall and 2 feet wide with golden foliage and deep pink flowers). |
Cuphea ignea (Cigar Plant, Firecracker Plant, Mexican Cigar, Cigar Flower) This species grows best in zones 11-13, 16-24, H1 and H2. This is a leafy, compact grower that gets 1 foot tall and wide. Dark green leaves with 'cigar-shaped' flowers that are bright orange-red with a white tip and a dark ring at the end. Variety 'David Verity' has orange-red blossoms, and 'Starfire' has pink flower tubes with purple petals. |
Caring for and pruning cuphea shrubs
Plant these shrubs in full sun to partial shade, in well-draining soil. Provide with regular waterings, especially during growth and blooming periods. Once established, these plants are considered to be relatively drought-tolerant. In summer, feed with a balanced water-soluble fertilizer about once a month. These plants do not need to be pruned regularly other than to remove spent blossoms and pinch branch tips to encourage a more bushy habit.
Propagation
Cuphea can be propagated either by using cuttings or from seed. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the cutting method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant. To propagate your shrub,, follow the instructions below:
Propagating Cuphea by Cutting
Propagating Cuphea by Seed
Propagating Cuphea by Cutting
- Gather your materials. You'll need a clean, sanitized, sharp pair of garden shears, rooting hormone, a pencil, and a 3-inch pot filled with well-draining compost or other organic material. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand.
- In spring or early summertime, choose the plant that you'd like to propagate. Ensure that this plant has had a good watering the night before, as this will improve the chances your cutting will take root. Cut one or more 6 inch portion(s) of the end of a non-blooming branch and strip the leaves off of the lower half. Make a hole in your planting medium by pushing your pencil into the soil. Dip the end of the stem in rooting hormone, and plant it in your pot. Fill in soil around the cutting to support it, but do not pack it down too much.
- Moisten with water, and ensure that the pot has good drainage. Your pot should be kept in warm, sunny conditions indoors (and not in direct sunlight). Water whenever your soil is dry under the top layer. After about four to six weeks have passed, your cutting should be rooted. When you notice new growth on your propagated shrub, you'll know you have roots.
- Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring, when you can transplant it to its new home. Ensure that the last frost of the year has occurred before doing this, as it can seriously damage your new shrub.
Propagating Cuphea by Seed
- Keep in mind that the Cuphea plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand. You will also, after a few weeks, need individual 3-inch pots for each seedling that grows.
- Harvest your seeds. The seed pods on Cuphea plants are pretty easy to spot, they're left behind after flowers have faded and will turn brown. Once they have dried out and begun to split open, you can harvest the seeds inside. Cut them off of the plant, placing them in a paper bag. Harvest as many as you can, and place the paper bag in a dry, cool, dark area. They will split open and release the seeds contained inside. Once they have been released, take them out of the bag and put them in a container so you can work with them.
- Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes 8-10 days from sowing. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
- Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.
Problems and Pests
Cupheas are generally pest and disease-free. For information on commonly-encountered home garden pests and diseases, consult the following pages:
Gallery
Videos
All about Cuphea.
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How to grow and care for Mexican Heather.
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Resources
The New Sunset Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (2012) - Page 273, Cuphea
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