Mexican Heather , also known as False Heather or Elfin Herb ( Cuphea hyssopifolia ) , is a diminished evergreen plant bush native to Mexico , Guatemala , and Honduras . It is a extremity of the Lythraceae family and is commonly used as an ornamental plant , farm in orchards and gardens . This flora also farm on the banking concern of stream , associated with disturbed vegetation of tropic deciduous and sub - deciduous forests , as well as mountain mesophilic timber .
This plant rise to about 2 feet improbable with a shaggy-coated growth habit . It has small , narrow , and dark green leaves that resemble those of the herb hyssop ( hence the name Cuphea hyssopifolia ) . The main attractor of Mexican Heather is its blooms of small , trumpet - shaped blossom . These flower can be purple , lilac , white and even pink . They bloom endlessly throughout the summer and fall . The bloom pull in pollinators such as butterfly and hummingbirds .
Mexican Heather prefers well - drained grease and full sun but can tolerate partial tincture . It is a stout plant that can withstand high summertime hotness and some drought , although it grows best with regular wet . It is a perennial in USDA zones 9 and higher but is generally grown as an annual in cool climates though it does not support freezing temperatures .
Mexican Heather is relatively downcast sustentation and requires little pruning . It can be propagated by root cuttings , layering , partitioning or seed . These bushes look adorable as edging or as a small hedge in tropic gardens , around the corners of paving and sidewalks or as a filler plant in bed and perimeter with other foliage and flowers .
A Mexican heather lifespan can be quite tenacious since these plants are able to survive the hot summertime and bounce back from most winter frosts . Frost can damage Mexican broom , but it ordinarily recovers and grow again in the bounce .
Varieties of Mexican Heather (Cuphea hyssopifolia)
Growing Mexican Heather
Provide Robert Frost aegis . Help your Mexican heather withstand cold atmospheric condition by adding a 6 - inch bed of mulch around the plant ’s base in the fall . This will aid protect the roots if the ground freezes .
Learn pruning technique . Mexican heather does n’t need much pruning , but if your plant starts to look unkempt , you could fleece back the plant by a third of its height to encourage tighter , more compact growth .
Add fertilizer and mulch . Mexican heather bushes can profit greatly from high - tone , organic fertilizers . Also , mulch can help the plant retain moisture in the soil and prevent weed increment .
get it on how to grow in containers . These plants can also be grown in containers if you ’re an indoor nurseryman . Use a pot or container with drainage holes at the bottom , move your Mexican heather plant from its pot to the container ( abridge the radical ) and placer the container in shade for two weeks before you move it indoors . you’re able to move the flora outside in springtime after the last frost .
Watch out for pestis and disease . Mexican heather bushes are n’t susceptible to many insects , luckily , although flea beetle can be a problem . Monitor your plants regularly and probe leave and stems for holes . Also , watch out for wanderer mite webs underneath the leaves of your plant .
