Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Mexico, Central America
Types
Orange, Dark Red (Ratan aboli), Yellow, Delhi Crossandra , Arka Ambara, Arka Kanaka (IIHR varieties)
Cuphea hyssopifolia
Habitat
Screen Cottage and Informal Garden, Urban areas, Wild
Tropical areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-15
9-15
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 24
H1, H2, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Cushion/Mound-forming
Flower Color
Orange, Orange Red
White, Pink, Light Pink, Lavender, Violet
Flower Color Modifier
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Light Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Oblong to lance-shaped
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Medium
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Cuttings, Divison, Layering, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Water daily during growing season
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 pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead flowers, Remove dead leaves
Prune if you want to improve plant shape
Fertilizers
Balanced liquid fertilizer
14-14-14 Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
-
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Attracts
Hummingbirds, Butterflies
Butterflies
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Bouquets, Cottage Garden, Ground Cover, Hanging Basket, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Borders, Ground Cover
Environmental Uses
Agroforestry
Air purification
Medicinal Uses
Antibacterial, Aphrodisiac, Bronchitis, Cough, Liver problems, Menstrual Disorders
Dysentry, Eye Infection, Indigestion, Organ Stones
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Flowering Tips, Flowers, Leaves, Shoots, Stem
Other Uses
Basketary, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Showy Purposes
Used As Indoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Container, Cutflower, Hedges, Tropical
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging, Foundation, Groundcover, Hanging Basket, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
CROSSANDRA infundibuliformis
CUPHEA hyssopifolia
Common Name
Crossandra, firecracker flower
False Heather, Mexican Heather, Hawaiian Heather
In Hindi
Crossandra
Mexican Heather
In German
Crossandra
Mexican Heather
In French
Crossandra
Mexicaine Heather
In Spanish
Crossandra
Heather mexicana
In Greek
Crossandra
Μεξικού Heather
In Portuguese
Crossandra
Mexican Heather
In Polish
Crossandra
Mexican Heather
In Latin
Crossandra
Mexicanus Heather
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Scrophulariales
Myrtales
Family
Acanthaceae
Lythraceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Importance of Crossandra and Mexican Heather
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Crossandra and Mexican Heather. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Crossandra and Mexican Heather as they differ in many characteristics such as their life, care, benefits, facts, etc. Every gardener must at least have the slightest clue about the plants he wants to plant in his garden. Compare their benefits, which differ in many ways like facts and uses. The medicinal use of Crossandra is Antibacterial, Aphrodisiac, Bronchitis, Cough, Liver problems and Menstrual Disorders whereas of Mexican Heather is Dysentry, Eye Infection, Indigestion and Organ Stones. Crossandra has beauty benefits as follows: while Mexican Heather has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Crossandra vs Mexican Heather
How to choose the best garden plant for your garden depending upon its facts? Here garden plant comparison will help you to solve this query. Compare the facts of Crossandra vs Mexican Heather and know which one to choose. As garden plants have benefits and other uses, allergy is also a major drawback of plants for some people. Allergic reactions of Crossandra are whereas of Mexican Heather have respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Crossandra has no showy fruits and Mexican Heather has no showy fruits. Also Crossandra is not flowering and Mexican Heather is not flowering . You can compare Crossandra and Mexican Heather facts and facts of other plants too.