Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Shrub
Tree
Origin
Mexico, Central America
Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, South-Central United States
Types
Cuphea hyssopifolia
-
Number of Varieties
353
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Tropical areas
bottomlands, Depression on prairies, ditches, Floodplains, Riverbanks, stream banks, Swamps
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-154-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
9-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
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
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
20.30 cm1,220.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.40 cm1,220.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink, Lavender, Violet
Yellow, Brown
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Light Green, Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Yellow, Light Yellow, Tan
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oblong to lance-shaped
Oval with a pointed tip and fine teeth along their edges
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Wet Site, Pollution, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Divison, Layering, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs watering once a week, Requires more often in extreme heat
Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
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
Prune in the late winter or spring, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Shape and thin as needed
Fertilizers
14-14-14 Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, No need to fertilize every year
Pests and Diseases
-
Aphids, Red blotch, Sawfly Larvae
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Pollution, Soil Compaction, Wet Site
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
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
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies
-
Allergy
-
Asthma
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Borders, Ground Cover
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Erosion control, Wildlife
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Dysentry, Eye Infection, Indigestion, Organ Stones
-
Part of Plant Used
Flowering Tips, Flowers, Leaves, Shoots, Stem
Whole plant
Other Uses
Showy Purposes
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging, Foundation, Groundcover, Hanging Basket, Mixed Border
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Botanical Name
CUPHEA hyssopifolia
BETULA nigra
Common Name
False Heather, Mexican Heather, Hawaiian Heather
River Birch
In Hindi
Mexican Heather
River Birch
In German
Mexican Heather
Fluss Birch
In French
Mexicaine Heather
Birch river
In Spanish
Heather mexicana
river Birch
In Greek
Μεξικού Heather
ποταμός Birch
In Portuguese
Mexican Heather
river Birch
In Polish
Mexican Heather
Rzeka Birch
In Latin
Mexicanus Heather
Betula
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Myrtales
Fagales
Family
Lythraceae
Betulaceae
Genus
Cuphea
Betula
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Lythroideae
-
Number of Species
2503
1
27800
👆🏻