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Compare Mexican Heather and Firecracker Flower


Firecracker Flower and Mexican Heather


What is

Life Span
Perennial  
Annual and Perennial  

Type
Shrub  
Shrub  

Origin
Mexico, Central America  
Southeastern Asia, India  

Types
Cuphea hyssopifolia  
Crossandra, Firecracker Plant  

Number of Varieties
35  
99+
50  
99+

Habitat
Tropical areas  
gardens, Homesteads, Urban areas  

USDA Hardiness Zone
9-15  
10-15  

AHS Heat Zone
12-10  
10-9  

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

Habit
Cushion/Mound-forming  
Upright/Erect  

Information

Plant Size
  
  

Minimum Height
20.30 cm  
99+
40.60 cm  
99+

Minimum Width
30.40 cm  
99+
25.40 cm  
99+

Plant Color
  
  

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

Flower Color Modifier
-  
-  

Fruit Color
-  
-  

Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green, Dark Green  
Green, Dark Green  

Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green  
Green, Dark Green  

Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green  
Green, Dark Green  

Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green  
Green, Dark Green  

Shape
  
  

Leaf Shape
Oblong to lance-shaped  
Ovate  

Thorns
No  
No  

Season

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

Growing Conditions
  
  

Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade  
Full Sun, Partial Sun  

Growth Rate
Medium  
Medium  

Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand  
Loam  

The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline  
Acidic, Neutral  

Soil Drainage
Well drained  
Average  

Bloom Time
Indeterminate  
Indeterminate  

Repeat Bloomer
Yes  
Yes  

Tolerances
Drought  
-  

Care

Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot  
Ground, Pot  

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

Plant Maintenance
Medium  
Medium  

Watering Plants
  
  

Watering Requirements
Needs watering once a week, Requires more often in extreme heat  
Form a Soil ring to water efficiently, Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water more in summer  

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  

Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand  
Loam  

Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained  
Average  

Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade  
Full Sun, Partial Sun  

Pruning
Prune if you want to improve plant shape  
No pruning needed in the early stages, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove deadheads  

Fertilizers
14-14-14 Fertilizer  
All-Purpose Liquid 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
No  
Yes  

Fragrant Fruit
No  
No  

Fragrant Leaf
No  
No  

Fragrant Bark/Stem
No  
No  

Showy Foliage
Yes  
No  

Showy Bark
No  
No  

Foliage Texture
Medium  
Medium  

Foliage Sheen
Glossy  
Glossy  

Evergreen
No  
No  

Invasive
No  
No  

Self-Sowing
Yes  
Yes  

Attracts
Butterflies  
Hummingbirds, Butterflies  

Allergy
-  
-  

Benefits

Uses
  
  

Aesthetic Uses
Borders, Ground Cover  
Beautification, Showy Purposes  

Beauty Benefits
-  
-  

Edible Uses
Yes  
No  

Environmental Uses
Air purification  
Air purification  

Plant Benefits
  
  

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

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

Other Uses
Showy Purposes  
Used as Ornamental plant  

Used As Indoor Plant
Yes  
Yes  

Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes  
Yes  

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

Scientific Name

Botanical Name
CUPHEA hyssopifolia  
CROSSANDRA infundibuliformis  

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

In Hindi
Mexican Heather  
आबोली  

In German
Mexican Heather  
Kracher-Blume  

In French
Mexicaine Heather  
Firecracker fleur  

In Spanish
Heather mexicana  
flor petardo  

In Greek
Μεξικού Heather  
πυροτέχνημα λουλούδι  

In Portuguese
Mexican Heather  
flor foguete  

In Polish
Mexican Heather  
petarda kwiat  

In Latin
Mexicanus Heather  
flos Firecracker  

Classification

Kingdom
Plantae  
Plantae  

Phylum
Magnoliophyta  
-  

Class
Magnoliopsida  
-  

Order
Myrtales  
Lamiales  

Family
Lythraceae  
Acanthaceae  

Genus
Cuphea  
Crossandra  

Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids  
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots  

Tribe
-  
-  

Subfamily
Lythroideae  
Brodiaeoideae  

Number of Species
250  
99+
5  
99+

What is >>
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Difference Between Mexican Heather and Firecracker Flower

If you are confused whether Mexican Heather or Firecracker Flower 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 Mexican Heather and Firecracker Flower Information and learn more about it. Fertilizers required for proper growth of Mexican Heather are 14-14-14 Fertilizer, whereas for Firecracker Flower fertilizers required are All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer. Hence, one should know the basic difference between Mexican Heather and Firecracker Flower if you are planning to have them in your garden to enhance its beauty.

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Importance of Mexican Heather and Firecracker Flower

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

Compare Facts of Mexican Heather vs Firecracker Flower

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

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