Growing Cuphea in Your Houston, Texas Garden

There are over 250 species of Cuphea, most of them native to very warm climates, which makes the odds that you can find some that do well in Houston, Texas pretty good. In general, Cuphea bloom with red, pink and lavender tubular flowers (although you will find other varieties), and their shape has given them the nickname "Cigar Flower." Cuphea will bring both butterflies and hummingbirds to your Houston, Texas garden, and most varieties will bloom from the spring all the way through the fall. They are also a great choice for containers, accent plants and mixed borders. If you are looking to add some interesting color and fragrance to your Houston, Texas garden, try planting some of the Cuphea varieties below.

Flamenco Cha Cha. This lovely Cuphea has gorgeous fuchsia flowers with violet centers that will bloom from March through October in your garden. They are disease resistant, drought tolerant, and can survive cold temperatures down to 25 degrees (unlikely in Houston, Texas.) This is one of the larger-flowered Cuphea varieties, and it does best in full sun (partial sun is okay, too.) Plant them in the spring in your Houston, Texas garden and they will attract both butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden. These Cuphea are a good choice for window boxes and hanging baskets.

Flamenco Rumba. The bright red flowers of this Cuphea are sure to add color to your Houston, Texas garden. Plant them in full to partial sun in the spring and enjoy their flowers from spring through fall in your Houston, Texas garden. These Cuphea tolerate the heat and humidity of Houston very well, and are also disease resistant. A good choice for mixed borders or groundcover, these flowers will also attract butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden.

Flamenco Samba. If you are looking for purple and red flowers to brighten your Houston, Texas garden, try planting these Cuphea. These flowers are a good choice for rock gardens, provided they get full sun, and will bloom from late spring through mid fall. They are drought tolerant, and will attract hummingbirds to your Houston, Texas garden. Plant them in the spring or summer, preferably in well-drained soil.

Batface. Despite its name, this Cuphea is very pretty, with red and purple flowers that will bloom from April through the first frost. (The flower look like a bat's face and ears, hence its name.) These Cuphea are drought tolerant, and will regrow in the spring. Plant them in full sun, where they will do best in soil with good drainage. These Cuphea are the perfect choice for Houston, Texas container gardens.

Firecracker Plant. These perennials can grow to be almost three feet tall, and will flower profusely with orange and yellow blooms from April through the first frost. Plant them in the fall in full sun in your Houston, Texas garden, preferably in soil with good drainage. These Cuphea also come in a variety with pink and lavender flowers. Either type will bring butterflies to your Houston, Texas garden.

Source list:

Personal experience
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuphea
http://www.chron.com/apps/chron_data/plants.mpl