Mexican Heather (Cuphea hyssopifolia)
October 8, 2007 — Vasant M. SalianMexican or False Heather (Cuphea hyssopifolia) is a small shrub which is native to Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras. It is a small tropical evergreen sub-shrub with many charming attributes including compact form and fine textured foliage.
Growing to a maximum height of about 24 in false heather grows to form flat topped mounds 18-36 in in diameter. The plant’s flat feathery sprays of foliage are 12-18 in long and are highly branched. The small oblong leaves resemble those of Scotch heather (genus Calluna also known by its synonym Erica) and are about 3/4 to 1 in long and 1/4 to 1/2 in wide. They are arranged alternately the length of the stems giving the plant a fern like appearance. In tropical climates tiny flowers emerge from the axils (the points where the leaf attaches to a stem) to create a show of colour that lasts for much of the year. False heather flowers range from the typical purple and lavender to the less frequently seen white, pink and deep rose varieties.
Taxonomy:
Kingdom : Plantae
Division : Magnoliophyta
Class : Magnoliopsida
Order : Myrtales
Family : Lythraceae
Genus : Cuphea
Species : Cuphea hyssopifolia
Pronunciation/Meaning:
- Lythraceae (ly-THRAY-see-ay) - The Lythrum family (the Greek word means blood or gore).
- Cuphea (KYOO-fee-uh) - Curved, referring to shape of fruit.
- hyssopifolia (hiss-sop-ih-FOH-lee-uh) - Having leaves like Hyssop.
Common Names:
- Mexican Heather, False Heather, Mexican False Heather, Hawaiian Heather
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