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Image of the exotic
looking
hummingbirds and
butterfly magnet,
Cuphea Ignea
or Mexican Cigar Plant
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Cuphea Ignea
(Cigar
Flower, Cigarette Plant,
Firecracker
Plant, Mexican Cigar Plant) |
Family: Lythraceae (Loosestife)
Origin: Native to islands of West Indies and Mexico
Light: Sun-part shade
Height: 1-3'
Spread: 2-3'
Blooms: Small, red, 1" long, cigar-shaped; thin pistil apears as
the pencil-thin-sized flower matures, blooms year round
Foliage: Dark green,
opposite, narrow, lance-shaped
Soil: Well-drained, moist
Water: Regular
Propagation: Seeds (Press lightly into soil in Spring), stem
cuttings (in Spring)
Uses: Mass planting, borders, specimen, foundation, container,
planters
Comments:
Cuphea Ignea or Cigar Flower or Cigarette Plant
or Firecracker
Plant or Mexican Cigar Plant is a
heat-loving ornamental shrub with a moderate growth rate. It is a
rounded mounding plant with fabulous hot colored flowers and semi-woody
stems.
Firecracker
Plant is
low-maintenance an it makes a
gorgeous
specimen
or foundation plant
in the perennial
landscape.
It
does ot
have any serious pest or disease problems. The
glowy Summertime flowers of
Cigarette Plant grown in masses
attract flocks
of hummingbirds and butterflies. Grow Mexican Cigar
Plant in a
large
container
as
an
attractive accent plant with some shorter perennials around it to cover
its legs. Pinch new growth to maintain a dense shape.
Cuphea Ignea
is
grown as an annual in colder regions. In zones 8b, my plant dies
back at root level but returns in Spring with new growth. Interestingly,
the name 'ignea' is the Latin word for 'fire'.
USDA Hardiness Zones : 10-12 |
