Botanical Name: Cuphea hyssopifolia

Common Name: Mexican Heather

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

Size: 12–24" Tall × 12–24" Spread

Growth Habit: Compact to Mounding, Fine-Textured, 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: Small Lavender, Purple, Pink, or White Star-Shaped Flowers, Fine Evergreen-Like Foliage, Long Blooming, Heat Tolerant

Uses: Containers, Edging, Borders, Mass Plantings, Pollinator Gardens

Patent: ❌ Not Patented

Propagation: ✔ Propagation Allowed

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

More About Cuphea Mexican Heather

Cuphea Mexican Heather is valued for its exceptionally fine texture and long-lasting bloom, producing thousands of tiny, star-shaped flowers held along slender, wiry stems from late spring through frost. While the individual blooms are small, their continuous production creates a soft, cloud-like effect that delivers steady color without ever feeling overpowering. This subtle flowering habit allows Mexican Heather to blend seamlessly into mixed plantings, where it adds movement and lightness rather than acting as a focal point. In mass plantings, the effect is especially striking, forming a uniform blanket of color that reads as polished and intentional.

The foliage is dense, finely textured, and evergreen-like in appearance, giving the plant a clean, refined look even when flowering slows slightly. Its naturally compact, well-branched habit helps it maintain a tidy shape without pruning, making it ideal for low-maintenance gardens. In warm climates, Mexican Heather can function as a small, woody perennial shrub with year-round structure, while in cooler regions it performs reliably as a long-season annual. Regardless of climate, the plant retains its neat form far better than many other fine-textured flowering plants.

Why We Like It (Our Trials)

In our trials, Cuphea Mexican Heather has proven to be exceptionally dependable in heat and humidity, continuing to perform when many other flowering annuals struggle. It establishes quickly after planting, holds its shape without stretching, and maintains consistent bloom production through the hottest part of summer. We’ve found it requires very little maintenance to stay attractive, making it an excellent choice for both experienced gardeners and those looking for easy-care plants.

We especially value its versatility in design. Mexican Heather works equally well as a container filler, a low edging plant, or a mass planting where its fine texture creates a cohesive, refined look across the landscape. Its understated blooms attract bees and other small pollinators throughout the season, adding ecological value without disrupting clean garden lines. Few plants balance structure, subtle color, and reliability as effectively as Mexican Heather.

Mexican Heather vs. Other Cuphea

‘Mexican Heather’ is fundamentally different from most other Cuphea varieties, offering a small-leaved, shrub-like structure rather than bold individual flowers. Compared to Vermillionaire® or FloriGlory® Diana, its blooms are tiny and subtle, but they appear in massive numbers, creating a soft haze of color rather than focal points. This makes it especially effective as edging or low hedging, where louder varieties like ‘Bat Face’ would feel visually chaotic. Its dense, fine texture also gives it a more formal appearance.

When contrasted with Hummingbirds Lunch or David Verity, ‘Mexican Heather’ is far less expressive but far more consistent in shape. It holds its form well without constant pruning, unlike some of the more open, upright varieties. Compared to Allyson Heather, it offers a tighter, more compact habit with smaller foliage. ‘Mexican Heather’ is not a pollinator showstopper, but it excels where structure, continuity, and subtlety are the priority.