Botanical Name: Cuphea ignea ‘David Verity’

Common Name: Cuphea, Giant Cigar Plant

Hardiness Zone: Perennial in Warm Regions (USDA Zones 8–11); Grown as an Annual Elsewhere

Size: 24–36" Tall × 24–36" Spread

Growth Habit: Upright, Bushy, Well-Branched Habit

Sunlight: Full Sun to Partial Shade (Best Flowering in Full Sun)

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: Long Tubular Orange-Red Flowers with Purple Tips, Exceptional Hummingbird Attraction, Continuous Blooming, Excellent Heat Tolerance

Uses: Pollinator Gardens, Landscape Beds, Large Containers, Back-of-Border Plantings, Wildlife Gardens

Patent: ❌ Not Patented

Propagation: ✔ Propagation Allowed

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

More About Cuphea ‘David Verity’

Cuphea ‘David Verity’ is, in my experience, one of the very best hummingbird plants you can grow. I’ve watched hummingbirds make a straight line for it from across the garden. Those vivid orange red tubular blooms with their subtle purple tips practically act like runway lights. It flowers nonstop from late Spring all the way to frost, not in waves, not in spurts, just steady, reliable color. There simply aren’t many annuals that can keep that level of bloom going while handling constant pollinator traffic the way this one does.

Now I always tell customers this is not a small, tidy little Cuphea. ‘David Verity’ grows into a big, shrub like presence with strong, woody stems and real substance in the landscape. Once we get it established, it fills space fast and starts behaving more like a flowering shrub than a seasonal annual. I’ve seen it power through thick heat, humidity, and even short dry stretches without missing a beat, still blooming heavily when other plants are looking tired. Because of that size and vigor, I like using it as a bold backdrop or a true focal point in pollinator plantings where it can really stretch out and show off.

Why We Like It (Our Trials)

Here in our Upstate South Carolina trial beds, Cuphea ‘David Verity’ has become one of those plants I never have to second guess. We plant it out in full sun, no coddling, no special treatment, and it takes off quickly with strong, steady growth. By early Summer, it’s already filling its space with confidence, and from that point forward it rarely slows down. I don’t deadhead it. I don’t baby it. We water it like we water everything else, and even when the temperatures climb into the thick, sticky heat of late July and August, it keeps blooming like it has something to prove. I’ve walked the beds during heat waves when other annuals are clearly tired, and ‘David Verity’ still looks energized and in motion.

What really sets it apart for me is how alive it makes a space feel. In our pollinator sections, it becomes a true hummingbird hub. I’ve watched hummingbirds circle back to it again and again throughout the day, almost like they’re running a scheduled route. The bees work it too, weaving in and out of those tubular blooms without interrupting the show. When we place it in a garden bed, it doesn’t just sit there politely. It commands attention. In large containers, it becomes the centerpiece without trying too hard, spilling upward and outward with color and movement. It has that rare combination of toughness and drama, and I always appreciate a plant that can handle our Southern summers while still putting on a performance.

David Verity vs. Other Cuphea

‘David Verity’ is known for its abundant small flowers and full, bushy habit, placing it somewhere between novelty types and performance-driven selections. Compared to ‘Bat Face’, it is far more uniform and predictable in bloom distribution. While it doesn’t achieve the intense color saturation of Vermillionaire®, it compensates with steady flowering and good coverage. Its growth habit is fuller than Hummingbirds Lunch, making it better suited for mid-border use.

Against FloriGlory® Diana and Maria, ‘David Verity’ appears less compact and more relaxed in structure. It also lacks the fine texture and formal feel of Mexican Heather, instead leaning toward a classic bedding-plant look. Compared to Allyson Heather, it produces more noticeable blooms and a broader footprint. ‘David Verity’ works well where balance between flower presence and plant mass is desired.