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| Photo Credit: Lane Greer |
| Super tall Cuphea micropetala features yellow-orange flowers that are reddish at the base. |
Whether you call them firecracker plants, cigar plants or cupheas, this is one annual sure to be a dynamite performer in your garden! Cuphea (pronounced “koo-FAY-uh” or “KEW-fee-uh”) has long been grown as a houseplant or greenhouse performer. It’s hardy to USDA hardiness Zone 10 and susceptible to frosts, so most parts of the country grow this fantastic tender perennial as an annual.
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| Photo Credit: Lane Greer |
| The orange-red blooms just sizzle when paired with an orange container! |
The two most common species of cuphea grown are Cuphea ignea (ignea is Latin for “fire” and gives us the English word “ignite”) and C. micropetala (meaning small petals). C. ignea grows about a foot tall and wide. The individual orange-red flowers are tubular and quite small, but there are lots of them covering the plant. At the tip of each flower is a ring of stamens (the male parts of the flower), varying from yellow to bluish-brown – the burning end of the “cigar.” C. micropetala is a larger variety. It reaches up to 4 feet tall and has larger flowers that are yellow-orange at the tip and reddish at the base.
When it comes to firecracker plants, the most important thing to remember is that they love good soil! Make sure it’s well-drained with lots of organic matter, and remember to fertilize often (about every 2 weeks during summer). Plant them in full sun – but give them some afternoon shade if you live in a really hot summer climate. Treat these plants well, and they’ll reward you with flowers from frost to frost!
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