Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Shrub
Flowering Plants, Shrubs
Origin
Mexico, Central America
America
Types
Cuphea hyssopifolia
Lobelia aberdarica, Lobelia leschenaultiana, Lobelia canbyi
Number of Varieties
35415
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Tropical areas
Open areas, River side, Woods
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-154-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
8-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Cushion/Mound-forming
Cushion/Mound-forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
20.30 cm0.54 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.40 cm0.38 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink, Lavender, Violet
Blue, Red, Violet, White
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oblong to lance-shaped
Cushion
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Fall, Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Well drained
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Fall, Early Summer, Late Summer, Mid fall, Mid Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, 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, Prefer drip-irrigation instead of Over-head watering, Requires watering in the growing season, Use Mulches to help prevent water loss during hot and windy weather, Water twice a day in the initial period
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
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Well drained
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Prune if you want to improve plant shape
Cut or pinch the stems, Prune after flowering, Prune to control growth, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove deadheads
Fertilizers
14-14-14 Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
-
Botrytis Blight, Crown rot, Pythium rot, Stem spot
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies
Birds, Hummingbirds
Allergy
-
coma, convulsions, Diarrhea, exhaustion, Nausea, salivation, Vomiting, weakness
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Borders, Ground Cover
Beautification, Bouquets, Showy Purposes, Used for decorating walls, fences, gates, hedges, etc.
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Dysentry, Eye Infection, Indigestion, Organ Stones
Asthma, Bronchitis, Croup
Part of Plant Used
Flowering Tips, Flowers, Leaves, Shoots, Stem
Leaves, Seeds
Other Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging, Foundation, Groundcover, Hanging Basket, Mixed Border
Bedding Plant, Bog Garden, Edging, Foundation, Hanging Basket, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Botanical Name
CUPHEA hyssopifolia
Lobelia laxiflora
Common Name
False Heather, Mexican Heather, Hawaiian Heather
Lobelia
In Hindi
Mexican Heather
Lobelia
In German
Mexican Heather
Lobelie
In French
Mexicaine Heather
Lobelia
In Spanish
Heather mexicana
Lobelia
In Greek
Μεξικού Heather
λοβηλία
In Portuguese
Mexican Heather
Lobélia
In Polish
Mexican Heather
Lobelia
In Latin
Mexicanus Heather
Lobelia
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Anthophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Dicotyledonae
Order
Myrtales
Asterales
Family
Lythraceae
Campanulaceae
Genus
Cuphea
Lobelia
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Lythroideae
Lobelioideae
Number of Species
250415
1
27800
👆🏻