Last updated on March 9th, 2024 at 10:08 am
The Mexican Heather Plant – Cuphea hyssopifolia. Also called false heather. A small plant that will bloom in mid-summer until fall. A very hardy plant that produces small but profuse flowers even in the Southwest heat. Mexican Heather plants will go dormant when temperatures dip below 32° degrees Fahrenheit. But will bounce back after the last frost in your area.
Where to plant it?
Place them in a nice container or plant them in front of other taller evergreen shrubs. Plant several in a row along sidewalks or pathways for a low-hedge landscape. They are perfect in rock gardens or xeriscape landscapes.
They will have a hard time growing in full sun throughout the American Southwest, so it is best to plant them where there is morning sun and afternoon shade. Underneath a large tree with filtered light will work great. Place them in hanging baskets as they will have that overflowing look. Nice dark waxy green color foliage. Again, a little shade will make them look good throughout the growing seasons.
How big will they get?
Mexican heather will grow to a nice mounding plant about 2-3 ft. wide and tall, perfect for that small space in your garden with nothing there. They are considered perennials in warmer regions but will go dormant during the winter seasons in other colder areas.
Care of Mexican Heather
It can take full sun and partial shade. They will do great underneath a large shade tree providing there is filtered light coming through. Provide it with lots of water the first 2-3 years after initial planting. Then cut back to every other day during the summer months. Fertilize about 2-3 times during the growing seasons but do this at half the recommended ratio.
Prune back in early spring if it looks scraggly or overgrown. It loves to be planted in containers with taller plants in the background. Pair it with dracaena spikes or purple Cordyline plants.
The Mexican Heather plant is native to Mexico.
Sunset growing zones 16-24
USDA Zone – 9 – 11
