False Heather
(Cuphea hyssopifolia)
False Heather (Cuphea hyssopifolia)
/
/
Forest and Kim Starr
CC BY 2.0
Image By:
Forest and Kim Starr
Recorded By:
Copyright:
CC BY 2.0
Copyright Notice:
Photo by: Forest and Kim Starr | License Type: CC BY 2.0 | License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ | Uploader: Starr Environmental | Publisher: Flickr
Estimated Native Range
Summary
Cuphea hyssopifolia, commonly known as False Heather, Mexican Heather, Hawaiian Heather, or Elfin Herb, is a small evergreen shrub native to Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras. It thrives in open woodlands and scrub areas, where it forms dense mounds of fine-textured foliage. Typically, it grows to about 60 cm (24 in) high by 90 cm (35 in) wide. The plant features an abundance of small, lance-shaped, dark green leaves and produces a profusion of purple, lavender, or white flowers throughout the year in its native range, with peak blooming from late spring to early fall. The flowers are modest in size but are quite showy due to their abundance. The fruit is a capsule containing small globose seeds.
False Heather is valued for its long flowering season, compact form, and fine-textured foliage, making it an excellent choice for border planting, ground cover, and container gardening. It is also used in urban landscapes for its durability and low maintenance. In cultivation, it requires well-drained soil and can tolerate a range of soil types. While it prefers full sun to part shade, it is adaptable and can thrive with low to medium water once established. It is hardy in USDA zones 8B-11 and can be grown as an annual in colder climates. This plant has earned the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit, indicating its exceptional qualities for garden use. Propagation is typically done by cuttings, layering, or division, and it can self-seed readily in suitable conditions. Potential problems include susceptibility to spider mites and root rot in poorly drained soils.CC BY-SA 4.0
False Heather is valued for its long flowering season, compact form, and fine-textured foliage, making it an excellent choice for border planting, ground cover, and container gardening. It is also used in urban landscapes for its durability and low maintenance. In cultivation, it requires well-drained soil and can tolerate a range of soil types. While it prefers full sun to part shade, it is adaptable and can thrive with low to medium water once established. It is hardy in USDA zones 8B-11 and can be grown as an annual in colder climates. This plant has earned the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit, indicating its exceptional qualities for garden use. Propagation is typically done by cuttings, layering, or division, and it can self-seed readily in suitable conditions. Potential problems include susceptibility to spider mites and root rot in poorly drained soils.CC BY-SA 4.0
Plant Description
- Plant Type: Subshrub
- Height: 1-2 feet
- Width: 1-2 feet
- Growth Rate: Moderate
- Flower Color: Pink, Purple
- Flowering Season: Summer
- Leaf Retention: Evergreen
Growth Requirements
- Sun: Full Sun, Part Shade
- Water: Low, Medium
- Drainage: Medium, Fast
Common Uses
Bee Garden, Bird Garden, Border Plant, Butterfly Garden, Groundcover, Hummingbird Garden, Low Maintenance, Potted Plant, Rock Garden, Salt Tolerant, Showy Flowers, Street Planting
Natural Habitat
Open woodlands and scrub areas
Other Names
Common Names: Mexican Heather, Hawaiian Heather, Elfin Herb, Falsches Heidekraut, Romerito, Falsa-Érica, Isopskufea
Scientific Names: , Cuphea hyssopifolia, Cuphea hyssopifolia f. hyssopifolia, Cuphea hyssopifolia f. subrevoluta, Cuphea sunubana, Cuphea rivularis, Parsonsia hyssopifolia,
GBIF Accepted Name: Cuphea hyssopifolia Kunth