Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Shrub
Origin
Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, South-Central United States
Mexico, Central America
Types
-
Cuphea hyssopifolia
Number of Varieties
335
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
bottomlands, Depression on prairies, ditches, Floodplains, Riverbanks, stream banks, Swamps
Tropical areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-99-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
12-10
Sunset Zone
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
H1, H2, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Cushion/Mound-forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,220.00 cm20.30 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
1,220.00 cm30.40 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Brown
White, Pink, Light Pink, Lavender, Violet
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Black
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Light Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Yellow, Light Yellow, Tan
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval with a pointed tip and fine teeth along their edges
Oblong to lance-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Pollution, Soil Compaction
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Cuttings, Divison, Layering, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Prune in the late winter or spring, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Shape and thin as needed
Prune if you want to improve plant shape
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, No need to fertilize every year
14-14-14 Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Red blotch, Sawfly Larvae
-
Plant Tolerance
Pollution, Soil Compaction, Wet Site
Drought
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
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Butterflies
Allergy
Asthma
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Borders, Ground Cover
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Erosion control, Wildlife
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Dysentry, Eye Infection, Indigestion, Organ Stones
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Flowering Tips, Flowers, Leaves, Shoots, Stem
Other Uses
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Showy Purposes
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging, Foundation, Groundcover, Hanging Basket, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
BETULA nigra
CUPHEA hyssopifolia
Common Name
River Birch
False Heather, Mexican Heather, Hawaiian Heather
In Hindi
River Birch
Mexican Heather
In German
Fluss Birch
Mexican Heather
In French
Birch river
Mexicaine Heather
In Spanish
river Birch
Heather mexicana
In Greek
ποταμός Birch
Μεξικού Heather
In Portuguese
river Birch
Mexican Heather
In Polish
Rzeka Birch
Mexican Heather
In Latin
Betula
Mexicanus Heather
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Fagales
Myrtales
Family
Betulaceae
Lythraceae
Genus
Betula
Cuphea
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Lythroideae
Number of Species
3250
1
27800
👆🏻