Cuphea micropetala
Common Names: tall cigar plant, candy corn plant
Family: Lythraceae (loosestrife Family)Description
Tall cigar plant (like the related but smaller cigar plant, Cuphea
ignea) is a semi-woody subshrub that gets up to 3-4 ft (about 1 m)
tall with a similar spread. The opposite, narrow leaves, crowded on
the stems, are up to 6 in (15 cm) long near the bases, gradually
shortening toward the stem tips. The flowers are absolutely
gorgeous: tube-shaped little firecrackers, 1.5 in (3.75 cm) long;
orange-red, shading to yellow-green. They are borne abundantly on
the branching tips of the stems. Tiny glandular hairs on the flowers
give them a sticky surface.
Location
Cuphea micropetala grows naturally along streams and in open woods
and pastures in Mexico.
Culture
Light: Cuphea micropetala likes mostly full sun, but with protection
from the hottest midday sun. It will bloom with as little as 5 hours
of sun a day.
Moisture: Water regularly during the growing season; less in winter.
Once established, Cuphea micropetala is drought tolerant.
Hardiness: USDA Zones 8-11. In the winter, candy corn plant freezes
to the ground here in my Zone 8B North Florida garden, but returns
reliably each spring. However, because it gets a late start, it
doesn't start blooming until September or October. In frost-free
climates, Cuphea is evergreen and larger, and blooms much of the
year.
Propagation: Young, fast growing stem tips are easy to root in
spring. Large plants can be divided at the roots.
Usage
This is another tropical or subtropical plant that acts as a
"returning perennial" in mild, but frost-prone climates. Candy corn
plant spreads out slowly by rhizomes, but is not invasive. The
flowers are stunning in their beauty and hold up well in the vase.
Cuphea micropetala is one of the best hummingbird magnets you can
plant! Hummers can't get enough of it! Plant Cuphea in borders,
beds, along paths, or at the base on the south side of larger shrubs
and trees, so it gets sun most of the day.
Features
There are more than 250 species of Cuphea in Central and South
America. See Floridata's profiles on two other popular species:
cigar plant (C. ignea), and Mexican false heather(C. hyssopifolia) |
