September's Flower of the Month

Cuphea

Cuphea spp.

All members of the Cuphea genus discussed here are woody-stemmed perennials or subshrubs. They bloom best in full sun, have few pests, and are drought and heat tolerant. Cupheas are evergreen in the tropics, but in Zone 8 they get killed to the ground by freezing weather but resprout from hardy roots in spring. All cupheas are attractive to hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees. Propagation is easy from tip cuttings.

C. ignea (IG-nee-uh)                                                    3-4 ft. tall/3-4 ft. wide

Common name: Cigar plant, cigarette plant, firecracker plant, cigar flower

Narrow one-inch-long tubular red-orange flowers with yellow tips suggest a tiny lit cigar or perhaps a tiny firecracker.  

C. micropetala (my-kro-PET-uh-luh)              5-6 ft. tall/3-4 ft. wide

Common name: Tall cigar plant, candy corn plant

Tubular flowers open creamy yellow, but as they age, the base turns orange-red and then the entire flower takes on that color. Blooms are produced while days are short, mainly in spring and again in fall.  

C. hyssopifolia (hiss-sop-ih-FOH-lee-uh)                    1-2 ft. tall/2-3 ft. wide

Common name: Mexican heather, false heather, Hawaiian heather, elfin herb

Very fine, flat sprays of foliage on densely branched stems and tiny lavender, pink, or white flowers are the distinguishing marks of this cuphea.  

C. llavea (LAH-vay-uh)                                               1-2 ft. tall/3-4 ft. wide;

Common name: Bat-face cuphea; tiny mice cuphea, bunny’s ears, St. Peter’s plant

Masses of one-inch tubular purple flowers lipped with two upward-facing red petals bloom throughout the summer. The flowers resemble tiny bats’ faces if a bit of imagination is employed.

C. varia (VAR-ee-uh)                                                 1-3 ft. tall/2-3 ft. wide

Common name: ‘Susan’s Little Gem’, pink cigar, pink cuphea

Flowers of this species are varied and range from white to lavender and pink. Tubular flowers have six widely spaced petals that radiate out from the edges of the tube. 

Others: C. procumbens, C. purpurea, C. rosea, C. cyanea

At a Glance

Say: KOO-fee-uh or KYOO-fee-uh 

Hardiness: Zones 8-11 

Salt tolerance: Slight to none

Family: Lythraceae (Loosestrife)

Size: See each entry below

Origin: Warm temperate and tropical regions of the Americas