Introduction
Year-round flowering, attractive small foliage, and a neat, round shape help to make cigar flower a nice addition to any landscape. It is not readily available in quantity, but can occasionally be purchased at specialty garden centers. Plants grow no more than about 2feettall and 3feetwide and will attract attention in the shrub or perennial border. Many stems arise near the base of the plant, but they branch infrequently. Flowers are continually produced on new growth during the warm seasons in Florida. It can be used as an annual bedding plant elsewhere because frost kills it to the ground.
Credit: Edward F. Gilman, UF/IFAS
Credit: Edward F. Gilman, UF/IFAS
General Information
Scientific name: Cuphea ignea
Pronunciation: KOO-fee-uh IG-nee-uh
Common name(s): cigar plant, cigar flower
Family: Lythraceae
Plant type: shrub
USDA hardiness zones: 9B through 11 (Figure 3)
Planting month for zone 9: year round
Planting month for zone 10 and 11: year round
Origin: not native to North America
Invasive potential: not known to be invasive
Uses: container or above-ground planter; specimen; foundation; attracts hummingbirds
Availability: somewhat available, may have to go out of the region to find the plant
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Description
Height: 1 to 3 feet
Spread: 2 to 3 feet
Plant habit: round
Plant density: dense
Growth rate: moderate
Texture: fine
Foliage
Leaf arrangement: opposite/subopposite
Leaf type: simple
Leaf margin: entire
Leaf shape: elliptic (oval)
Leaf venation: bowed
Leaf type and persistence: evergreen
Leaf blade length: less than 2 inches
Leaf color: green
Fall color: no fall color change
Fall characteristic: not showy
Flower
Flower color: red
Flower characteristic: year-round flowering
Fruit
Fruit shape: elongated
Fruit length: less than 1/2 inch
Fruit cover: dry or hard
Fruit color: unknown
Fruit characteristic: inconspicuous and not showy
Trunk and Branches
Trunk/bark/branches: typically multi-trunked or clumping stems; not particularly showy
Current year stem/twig color: reddish
Current year stem/twig thickness: thin
Culture
Light requirement: plant grows in part shade/part sun
Soil tolerances: loam; acidic; clay; sand; alkaline
Drought tolerance: moderate
Soil salt tolerances: poor
Plant spacing: 36 to 60 inches
Other
Roots: usually not a problem
Winter interest: plant has winter interest due to unusual form, nice persistent fruits, showy winter trunk, or winter flowers
Outstanding plant: plant has outstanding ornamental features and could be planted more
Pest resistance: long-term health usually not affected by pests
Use and Management
In central and south Florida, cut plants to the ground when warm weather returns in the spring. Plants can be cut back in other regions after danger of frost leaves the region in the spring. This stimulates fresh growth from the base of the plant and removes last year’s twigs.
A sunny or partially shaded location gives the best growth. Soils should be kept moist.
Pests and Diseases
Cigar flower resists most pest and diseases problems.
