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Compare Firecracker Flower and Mexican Heather


Mexican Heather and Firecracker Flower


What is

Life Span
Annual and Perennial  
Perennial  

Type
Shrub  
Shrub  

Origin
Southeastern Asia, India  
Mexico, Central America  

Types
Crossandra, Firecracker Plant  
Cuphea hyssopifolia  

Number of Varieties
50  
99+
35  
99+

Habitat
gardens, Homesteads, Urban areas  
Tropical areas  

USDA Hardiness Zone
10-15  
9-15  

AHS Heat Zone
10-9  
12-10  

Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 24  
H1, H2, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24  

Habit
Upright/Erect  
Cushion/Mound-forming  

Information

Plant Size
  
  

Minimum Height
40.60 cm  
99+
20.30 cm  
99+

Minimum Width
25.40 cm  
99+
30.40 cm  
99+

Plant Color
  
  

Flower Color
Orange, Light Yellow, Peach, Orange Red  
White, Pink, Light Pink, Lavender, Violet  

Flower Color Modifier
-  
-  

Fruit Color
-  
-  

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  

Shape
  
  

Leaf Shape
Ovate  
Oblong to lance-shaped  

Thorns
No  
No  

Season

Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter  
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter  

Growing Conditions
  
  

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  

Repeat Bloomer
Yes  
Yes  

Tolerances
-  
Drought  

Care

Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot  
Ground, Pot  

How to Plant?
Seedlings  
Cuttings, Divison, Layering, Seedlings  

Plant Maintenance
Medium  
Medium  

Watering Plants
  
  

Watering Requirements
Form a Soil ring to water efficiently, Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water more in summer  
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  
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
No pruning needed in the early stages, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove deadheads  
Prune if you want to improve plant shape  

Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer  
14-14-14 Fertilizer  

Pests and Diseases
Insects  
-  

Plant Tolerance
Drought  
Drought  

Facts

Flowers
Showy  
Showy  

Flower Petal Number
Single  
Single  

Fruits
  
  

Showy Fruit
No  
No  

Edible Fruit
No  
No  

Fragrance
  
  

Fragrant Flower
Yes  
No  

Fragrant Fruit
No  
No  

Fragrant Leaf
No  
No  

Fragrant Bark/Stem
No  
No  

Showy Foliage
No  
Yes  

Showy Bark
No  
No  

Foliage Texture
Medium  
Medium  

Foliage Sheen
Glossy  
Glossy  

Evergreen
No  
No  

Invasive
No  
No  

Self-Sowing
Yes  
Yes  

Attracts
Hummingbirds, Butterflies  
Butterflies  

Allergy
-  
-  

Benefits

Uses
  
  

Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Showy Purposes  
Borders, Ground Cover  

Beauty Benefits
-  
-  

Edible Uses
No  
Yes  

Environmental Uses
Air purification  
Air purification  

Plant Benefits
  
  

Medicinal Uses
Cold, Cough, Wounds  
Dysentry, Eye Infection, Indigestion, Organ Stones  

Part of Plant Used
Flowers  
Flowering Tips, Flowers, Leaves, Shoots, Stem  

Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant  
Showy Purposes  

Used As Indoor Plant
Yes  
Yes  

Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes  
Yes  

Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Feature Plant, Hedges, Mixed Border, Tropical  
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging, Foundation, Groundcover, Hanging Basket, Mixed Border  

Scientific Name

Botanical Name
CROSSANDRA infundibuliformis  
CUPHEA hyssopifolia  

Common Name
Firecracker Flower  
False Heather, Mexican Heather, Hawaiian Heather  

In Hindi
आबोली  
Mexican Heather  

In German
Kracher-Blume  
Mexican Heather  

In French
Firecracker fleur  
Mexicaine Heather  

In Spanish
flor petardo  
Heather mexicana  

In Greek
πυροτέχνημα λουλούδι  
Μεξικού Heather  

In Portuguese
flor foguete  
Mexican Heather  

In Polish
petarda kwiat  
Mexican Heather  

In Latin
flos Firecracker  
Mexicanus Heather  

Classification

Kingdom
Plantae  
Plantae  

Phylum
-  
Magnoliophyta  

Class
-  
Magnoliopsida  

Order
Lamiales  
Myrtales  

Family
Acanthaceae  
Lythraceae  

Genus
Crossandra  
Cuphea  

Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots  
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids  

Tribe
-  
-  

Subfamily
Brodiaeoideae  
Lythroideae  

Number of Species
5  
99+
250  
99+

What is >>
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Difference Between Firecracker Flower and Mexican Heather

If you are confused whether Firecracker Flower or Mexican Heather are same, here are some features about those plants to help you choose better. Many people think that these two plants have the same characteristics, but one can see Firecracker Flower and Mexican Heather Information and learn more about it. Fertilizers required for proper growth of Firecracker Flower are All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, whereas for Mexican Heather fertilizers required are 14-14-14 Fertilizer. Hence, one should know the basic difference between Firecracker Flower and Mexican Heather if you are planning to have them in your garden to enhance its beauty.

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Importance of Firecracker Flower and Mexican Heather

Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Firecracker Flower and Mexican Heather. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Firecracker Flower 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 Firecracker Flower is Cold, Cough and Wounds whereas of Mexican Heather is Dysentry, Eye Infection, Indigestion and Organ Stones. Firecracker Flower has beauty benefits as follows: while Mexican Heather has beauty benefits as follows: .

Compare Facts of Firecracker Flower 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 Firecracker Flower 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 Firecracker Flower are whereas of Mexican Heather have respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Firecracker Flower has no showy fruits and Mexican Heather has no showy fruits. Also Firecracker Flower is not flowering and Mexican Heather is not flowering . You can compare Firecracker Flower and Mexican Heather facts and facts of other plants too.

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