Are you tired of planting the same summer annuals over and over? Want to spice up your containers with something different that will attract hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, and other pollinating insects? Then look no further. Cupheas (Cuphea species) love our hot South Carolina summers and will bloom continuously from spring until the first frost. They are native to Central America. Another bonus is the flowers don’t need deadheading as they are self-cleaning. However, you may need to pinch back the stems if the plant gets too leggy. Also, they are insect, disease, and deer resistant.
Bat-face cuphea (Cuphea llavea), planted with Silver Falls dichondra (Dichondra argentea ‘Silver Falls’) and red dipladenia (Mandevilla sanderi), creates an eye-catching hanging basket combination.
Barbara H. Smith, ©2022 HGIC, Clemson University
All cupheas are easy to grow in the sun to partial shade. In our climate, they do best with partial shade during the hottest part of the afternoon. They will not bloom well in deep shade. Plant them in organically rich, well-drained soil. Though somewhat tolerant of drought, it’s best to keep them evenly moist, with care not to keep them too wet. I usually fertilize my container plants at planting, using a slow-release fertilizer, such as Osmocote, which will last all summer. Instead of a slow release, you can use a water-soluble fertilizer every 2 to 4 weeks.
The following cupheas are my favorites to use in containers and hanging baskets:
Bat-face Cuphea (Cuphea llavea) is my absolute favorite cuphea to use in my containers and hanging baskets. The flowers have a purple calyx with two reddish petals or “ears” similar to a bat’s face, making me smile when I look at them. It has the tendency to become leggy, so pinch back the stems to keep the plant more compact. My hummingbirds and butterflies go crazy over this one.
Bat-face cuphea (Cuphea llavea) flowers look just like bat’s faces.
Barbara H. Smith, ©2022 HGIC, Clemson University
Firecracker or Mexican Cigar Plant (Cuphea ignea) has one-inch bright red tubular flowers tipped with white and two small black petals at the base. The common name is derived from the fact that the flowers look like firecrackers or cigars. It’s a showy annual that will bloom all season. The stems have a reddish color.
The tubular flowers of firecracker cuphea (Cuphea ignea) are a favorite of hummingbirds.
Barbara H. Smith, ©2022 HGIC, Clemson University
Honeybells Cuphea (Cuphea x ‘Honeybells’) has one-inch, long tubular pinkish-red flowers edged with a yellow rim. This little beauty tends to have somewhat of a weeping growth habit and reaches a foot tall with a trailing growth habit. It won the University of Georgia Plants of Distinction Award in 2019.
Honeybells cuphea (Cuphea x ‘Honeybells’) won the University of Georgia Plants of Distinction Award in 2019.
Barbara H. Smith, ©2022 HGIC, Clemson University
Mexican Heather (Cuphea hyssopifolia) is sometimes called false heather. It is a small shrub with a rounded growth habit and can grow up to two feet tall. The lavender to purple flowers are trumpet-shaped with six petals. White and pink flowering cultivars are also available.
The lavender to purple flowers have six petals and attract various pollinating insects.
Barbara H. Smith, ©2022 HGIC, Clemson University
Spice up your annual plantings this year by adding cupheas to your summer annual plantings. You can choose one or be a plant geek like me and plant all of them.
