Plants that can outlast red-hot , dry summers can be specially valuable . Mexican heather ( Cuphea hyssopifolia ) is this type of plant life . Sometimes hollo false heather because it ’s not a dead on target heather mixture , it’sa native plantin theatrical role of Mexico and Central America . Winter Robert Lee Frost can damage the works ’s foliage , but it unremarkably recovers and grows again in spring .
Characteristics
Step 1
Mexican heather is a small evergreen perennial that has a compact , bushy form and grows as a straight - topped , mound plant about 2 feet marvellous and up to 3 foundation wide . It has categorical , feathery sprays of leave that extend out from its main stems , with small-scale flowers developing at leaf axils , or the points where each leaf attach to a stem . The blossoms are commonly purple or lilac , but some assortment have white or pink to magenta flowers . The flowers come out in spring and can last throughout the summer and into early fall .
Climate
Mexican heather grows outdoors year - round in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 through 11 . In the frigid character of its range of a function , where sub - freezing temperature can go on in wintertime , Robert Lee Frost may cause the plant to go back to the ground . In most case , a hefty plant regrow the next spring , but may not flower until belatedly in summertime , because it puts most of its energy into mature new stems and leaves during the earlier part of the time of year . An especially cold wintertime might damage its roots or kill the intact works , but Mexican heather self - seeds promptly , so young seedling usually emerge in spring when the soil warm .
Cold Protection
you could help a Mexican heather plant withstand cold conditions in several ways . Adding a 4- to 6 - inch - thick bed of mulch in gloaming can help protect its roots from cold and also prevent heave of the plant from the ground during freeze - melting cycles . Keeping the flora well - irrigate in dusk also helps keep it good for you and can protect it from cold . If you live in a colder portion of its image , seat Mexican heather near a warm , south- or west - face paries of a edifice can assist it withstand cold , or you could plant it on a hillside , where cold air drains away to broken portions of the slope .
Other Care
Mexican heather mature well in partial shade , especially in areas with solid summer Lord’s Day . It can mature in full sun in realm with cooler summer , but unassailable Light Within may lighten its folio color . It is quite drought liberal once show , but benefit from even wet during its first year or two . In inhuman - winter areas , the plant life can be apprehend up and potted to over - winter indoors , and usually does well in an indoor spot near a south- or Dame Rebecca West - confront window until the following spring . you could propagate Mexican heather by conduct short spell from young stems and rooting them in moist George Sand or potting soil . Because of its tendency to self - seed , Mexican Scots heather has some encroaching voltage and is n’t a good choice for a naturalized area .
References
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