Scientific Name:
Cuphea hyssopifolia
(incl. hybrid cvs.)
Pronunciation:
KEW-fee-uh hiss-oop-ee-FOE-lee-uh
Common Name:
Mexican heather
Family Name:
Lythraceae
Plant Type:
Annual (grown as), Flowering pot plant
Key ID Features:
Low growing bushy shrub; leaves opposite, mostly elliptic, up to 2.5cm long x 7mm wide, petioles very short; flowers all summer into autumn.
Habit:
Arching, Spreading
Form:
Creeping / Mat-like, Oval - horizontal
Texture:
Fine
Mature Height:
0.2 - 0.4m
Mature Spread:
0.6 - 1.0m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
Central America, Mexico
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 9: (-7 to -1 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun, Part sun/part shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Humus rich, Well-drained
Water Use:
Low
Landscape Uses:
Bedding plant, Container planting, Group or mass planting, Mixed shrub border, Perennial border, Rock garden
Additional Info:
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Opposite
Texture/Venation:
Leathery, Pinnate venation
Surfaces:
Pubescent
Colour in Fall:
Dark-green
Shapes:
Elliptic, Lanceolate
Apices:
Acute
Bases:
Cuneate, Obtuse, Rounded
Margins:
Crenate, Entire
Inflorescence Type:
Flowers solitary, Floriferous
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
6
Corolla Shape:
Rotate/stellate
Ovary Position:
Inferior
Colour (petals):
Showy, White, Violet, Pink
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
Fruit Type:
Capsule
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Oct, Nov
Bark Morphology:
Smooth
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green
Propagation:
Seed, Softwood cuttings
Maintenance:
Low
Pest Susceptibility:
(Pest resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant)
