Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Flowering Plants, Herbs
Shrub
Origin
-
Mexico, Central America
Types
-
Cuphea hyssopifolia
Number of Varieties
235
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
moist forests, Mountains
Tropical areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-99-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-2
12-10
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20
H1, H2, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Cushion/Mound-forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
38.10 cm20.30 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
25.40 cm30.40 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Purple, Pink, Lavender
White, Pink, Light Pink, Lavender, Violet
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Brown
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Light Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Pinnate
Oblong to lance-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Cuttings, Divison, Layering, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs very little water
Needs watering once a week, Requires more often in extreme heat
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
cut main trunk every 5 years, Prune after flowering, Prune central stem, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune if you want to improve plant shape
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 5-10-5 amounts, Compost
14-14-14 Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Nematodes, Red blotch, Trunk Rot
-
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies, Leaf Hoppers
Butterflies
Allergy
Itchiness, Sore Throat
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification
Borders, Ground Cover
Beauty Benefits
Anti-ageing, Good Cleanser, Remove blemishes, Removes pimples
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for animals, Food for birds, soil stabilisation
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Cough, Haemorrhages, Laxative, Obesity, Tonic
Dysentry, Eye Infection, Indigestion, Organ Stones
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Flowering Tips, Flowers, Leaves, Shoots, Stem
Other Uses
Added to salads, Can be boiled and seasoned, pickled, Culinary use
Showy Purposes
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging, Foundation, Groundcover, Hanging Basket, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
Averrhoa bilimbi
CUPHEA hyssopifolia
Common Name
Bilimbi, Mimbro
False Heather, Mexican Heather, Hawaiian Heather
In Hindi
Bilimbi
Mexican Heather
In German
bilimbi
Mexican Heather
In French
bilimbi
Mexicaine Heather
In Spanish
bilimbi
Heather mexicana
In Greek
bilimbi
Μεξικού Heather
In Portuguese
bilimbi
Mexican Heather
In Polish
bilimbi
Mexican Heather
In Latin
Rondo Beardtongue
Mexicanus Heather
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Oxalidales
Myrtales
Family
Oxalidaceae
Lythraceae
Genus
Averrhoa
Cuphea
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Lythroideae
Number of Species
12250
1
27800
👆🏻