Common
name(s):
Cigar flower
Cigarette plant
Synonym(s):
Cuphea platycentra
This species from Mexico and the West Indies gets its common names
from the flowers, which are small, orange and tubular. Each has a
white tip with a touch of black, suggesting the ash at the tip of a
cigar or cigarette. The leaves are small, elliptical and bright
green. A bushy subshrub, it grows up to about 24 in (60 cm) high and
benefits from occasional trimming to keep it compact.
Hardiness zone from 10 To 12
Cultivation: They prefer moist, well-drained soil in sun or very
light shade. Propagation is usually from small tip cuttings, though
they are also easily raised from seed, which often self-sows. |