Botanical Name: Cuphea llavea ‘Bat Face’

Common Name: Bat-Faced Cuphea

Hardiness Zone: Perennial in Warm Regions (USDA Zones 9–11); Grown as an Annual Elsewhere

Size: 18–24" Tall × 18–24" Spread

Growth Habit: Upright, Bushy, Well-Branched Habit

Sunlight: Full Sun to Partial Shade

Soil: Well-Drained, Average to Fertile Soil

Water Needs: Moderate; Drought Tolerant Once Established

Bloom Season: Late Spring through Frost

Fertilizer: Light Feeding During Active Growth

Features: Unique Bat-Shaped Purple and Red Flowers, Continuous Blooming, Excellent Heat Tolerance, Hummingbird Friendly

Uses: Containers, Landscape Beds, Pollinator Gardens, Accent Plantings, Patio Displays

Patent: ❌ Not Patented

Propagation: ✔ Propagation Allowed

See our complete Cuphea Plant Guide for more in depth care details.

More About Cuphea ‘Bat Face’

Cuphea ‘Bat Face’ is one of those Cuphea that makes people stop mid-sentence and say, “Now what is that?” The deep purple, wing-like lobes and that bright red tubular “mouth” give it a personality you just don’t find in most annuals. Unlike the big, blanket-blooming Cupheas that win you over with sheer flower power, ‘Bat Face’ wins me over with character. I like to use it where folks can really appreciate the detail…  in containers by the front door, mixed planters on the patio, or right along the front of a bed where it can spark conversation.

Beyond its novelty, it’s a surprisingly well-behaved and useful plant in the garden. ‘Bat Face’ forms a tidy, upright, bushy habit that fills in evenly without getting floppy or wild, usually reaching about 12–18 inches tall and wide. It blooms continuously from late Spring through frost, and because the flowers are self-cleaning, there’s no constant deadheading required to keep it looking sharp. The foliage stays a healthy, rich green and provides a clean backdrop that lets those quirky blooms really pop. It thrives in full sun to part sun, appreciates well-drained soil, and once established, handles Summer heat with far more stamina than its delicate flowers might suggest.

Why We Like It (Our Trials)

In our trials , Cuphea ‘Bat Face’ has proven to be a reliable performer in full sun, handling high temperatures and intense summer conditions without slowing down. It maintains good branching and consistent flowering even during extended heat, when many novelty-type annuals tend to stall. We’ve found it performs equally well in containers and in-ground plantings, adapting easily without requiring special care or frequent maintenance. Its steady growth habit also makes it predictable for design planning.

We’ve found it blooms steadily from late Spring all the way to frost without us having to fuss over it. I don’t deadhead it, and it doesn’t seem to mind one bit. The habit is upright and nicely branched, so we get a full, even plant instead of something lanky and stretched. It stays manageable, but it still has enough presence that I’ll use it as a little anchor in a container combination when I want something quirky but structured. Even in the thick of Summer heat, the foliage stays clean and healthy, which around here is half the battle. It’s playful, yes — but it’s also tougher than it looks, and I always appreciate a plant that brings both charm and grit to the table.

Cuphea ‘Bat Face’ vs. Other Cuphea

Cuphea ‘Bat Face’ is immediately distinguished by its unique flower shape, which sets it apart from more traditional, tube-flowered Cuphea varieties like Vermillionaire® and FloriGlory® Diana. While those cultivars focus on dense flowering and color saturation, ‘Bat Face’ offers fewer but more expressive blooms that function as visual conversation pieces. Compared to Mexican Heather, which forms a fine-textured, shrub-like mound, ‘Bat Face’ has a looser, more open habit that feels less formal in the landscape. Its novelty-driven appeal makes it better suited for mixed containers or accent plantings rather than mass bedding.

When placed alongside Hummingbirds Lunch, the contrast becomes more about personality than performance. Both attract pollinators, but ‘Bat Face’ leans whimsical while ‘Hummingbirds Lunch’ reads more traditional in form. Compared to David Verity, which produces abundant small blooms and a fuller silhouette, ‘Bat Face’ sacrifices volume for individuality. It’s the least uniform of the group, but also the most distinctive, making it ideal where uniqueness matters more than coverage.