How do you plant Cuphea seeds?
How to Sow and Plant
- Sow indoors 3-4 weeks before the last frost in spring directly in 4 inch pots.
- Gently press the seeds in the seed starting formula, but do not bury them completely since they need light to germinate.
- Firm lightly and keep evenly moist.
- Seedlings emerge in 8-10 days.
Is Cuphea a perennial?
Throughout most of the country, cuphea is grown as an annual, but in frost-free regions it is perennial in nature. Cuphea forms a busy mound layered with nectar-rich flowers that are attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies.
How big does cuphea get?
Bat-faced cuphea produces many stems (L) with pointed, hairy ovate leaves (R). Plants can grow up to 2½ feet tall, but when grown as seasonal annuals generally only become 12-18 inches tall with an equal spread. They have a rounded, bushy habit and the foliage remains fresh all season if watered sufficiently.
Can you grow Cuphea from cuttings?
From Cuttings You can propagate cuphea from softwood cuttings. Softwood is a plant stem that is well-developed but not old and woody. With clean and sharp shears, cut four- to six-inch stems from a healthy plant.
What is cuphea used for?
Cuphea has also been shown to improve agricultural crops in North America when used in crop rotation. Crop rotation is commonly practiced among farmers to improve soil quality, control host-specific pests, and decrease the use of fertilizers and pesticides.
How do you preserve cuphea plants?
Keeping them indoors is the best way to protect them and grow them in the cold area. They cannot survive the cold and frost and need protection during the winter. They are evergreen and hardy in the USDA zones from 9 to 11. They like to when the temperature is between 10 C to 25 C.
How do you maintain cuphea?
To keep your cuphea plants flowering vigorously all season, fertilize them regularly with a water-soluble fertilizer, or once in the spring with a slow-release granular fertilizer. Potted plants may need more frequent applications.
Is David Verity a perennial plant?
David Verity Cigar Plant is an easy to grow, heat and sunloving hybrid Cuphea that flowers non-stop from spring or early summer through fall. In the portion of its range where freezes occur, it can be grown as an annual or if protected with a mulch it is generally a reliable perennial well into zone 8.
Is Cuphea an annual or perennial?
In the portion of its range where freezes occur, it can be grown as an annual or if protected with a mulch it is generally a reliable perennial well into zone 8. David Verity Cuphea makes for an easy and rewarding container specimen as well as in the garden and landscape.
Do hummingbirds like cupheas?
Cupheas are generally reliable perennials into zone 8B but may require a mulch or protected site with average to well-drained soils in areas where freezes occur. This group of tropicals is one of the best for attracting hummingbirds. This is the average expected mature height by width in feet or inches.