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Take a moment for a
closer look at the flowers produced by Bat-Faced Cuphea. Each flower bears a striking, and pleasant, resemblance to the face of a bat! |
Bat-Faced Cuphea is a
low maintenance, drought-tolerant, heat-loving landscape plant for the Texas Upper Gulf Coast. |
A. The short answer is YES! Bat-faced Cuphea (Cuphea llavea) is an outstanding selection for pots, planters, and beds. It is tolerant of full sun and drought with no major pest or disease problems.
Yes, this plant provides an eye-catching and quite pleasing flower display when viewed at a distance. But we’re dealing with Mother Nature here– they’re not called bat-faced without reason. Take time to get an up-close view of the flowers and you’ll likely imagine bats galore–only this time with attractive ears (red petals) and tongues licking out (white-colored stamens)!
Bat-faced Cuphea is easy to grow and in constant bloom from late spring into fall. It looks snappy lining a pathway and makes a great accent plant for containers or next to garden gates and benches. Hummingbirds and butterflies both like it, which is good.
Bat-faced Cuphea blooms from March to October in our growing area. Its distinctive red and purple flowers resemble a bat’s face. Due to its long bloom period, it would make a nice substitute for annual color in planters and other landscape focal points.
Bat-faced Cuphea will grow to about 2-3 feet tall by 3 feet wide, so use them informally in the garden rather than lined up like soldiers. Select a site in full sun or in filtered sun locations. Set out plants 12 to 24 inches apart (planting them at the same depth they are growing in the container), apply a good layer of mulch, and water to get established.
In early summer, pinch growth off a bit and more branching will follow. Feed in midsummer and again in early fall with a light application of a balanced, slow-release fertilizer. They work well with zinnias and firebush, or planted in front of cannas and upright-type elephant ears.
While cold temperatures down to 25 degrees can burn the foliage, Bat-faced Cuphea recovers readily from the roots. Cuttings grow very easy, and it is a nice conversation plant due to its strange flower shape.
Bat-faced Cuphea are low maintenance, drought-tolerant, heat-loving plants, but watering during long dry periods will pay dividends come fall. The Bat-faced Cuphea mostly is sold generically, but Georgia Scarlet and Tiny Mice are well-known elections.