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 widely considered one of the most effective hummingbird plants available, valued for its nonstop production of tubular flowers from late spring through frost. The blooms are a vivid orange-red with subtle purple accents at the tips, creating strong contrast that is highly visible to hummingbirds even from a distance. Flowering is continuous rather than cyclical, keeping the plant covered in color throughout the growing season. Few annuals maintain this level of bloom consistency while also supporting such heavy pollinator traffic.

Unlike compact or mounded Cuphea varieties, ‘David Verity’ develops into a large, shrub-like plant with strong, woody branching and substantial landscape presence. Once established, it fills space quickly and functions more like a small flowering shrub than a typical seasonal annual. It handles heat, humidity, and short dry spells extremely well, continuing to flower heavily when many plants begin to stall in mid to late summer. Its size and vigor make it especially effective as a backdrop plant or focal feature in pollinator-focused designs.

Why We Like It (Our Trials)

In our trials, Cuphea ‘David Verity’ has proven to be exceptionally reliable in full sun and high summer heat. It establishes rapidly, produces steady vegetative growth, and blooms continuously without requiring deadheading or intensive maintenance. Even during periods of extreme temperatures, flowering remains strong with basic watering, and the plant shows very little stress-related decline.

We especially value its role in pollinator gardens, where it functions as a consistent, high-traffic feeding station for hummingbirds throughout the day. Bees also visit regularly, adding additional wildlife interest. In the landscape, it performs beautifully as a focal plant in garden beds or as a dramatic centerpiece in large containers, where its size, color, and movement create a commanding presence.

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.