Illustration
Cuphea (Cigar Plant)
Cuphea ignea
Cuphea (Cigar Plant) blooms from May through October.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Cuphea (Cigar Plant)
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 9–11. Expect it to reach about 16 in tall and 16 in wide at maturity, in roughly 1 year (not yet checked).
No toxicity note is on file for Cuphea (Cigar Plant). That is not a clearance: check its safety for people and pets before planting.
What was checked
Mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not, and each fact above says which. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Cuphea (Cigar Plant)
Wait until all danger of frost has passed, then plant out Cuphea (Cigar Plant) into warm soil; in most zones that means late spring. Planted then, it flowers from May to October.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 9, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 9 in February. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Cuphea (Cigar Plant) get?
16 intall5 ft 7 inan adult16 inwideSee Cuphea (Cigar Plant) in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Cuphea (Cigar Plant)
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space Cuphea (Cigar Plant) about 16 in apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add Cuphea (Cigar Plant) to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
Cuphea (Cigar Plant)'s height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags were checked against 8 published sources on July 30, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- Missouri Botanical GardenCuphea igneaheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- NC State ExtensionCuphea igneaheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- plants.rogersgardens.comRoger's Gardens plant database, Firecracker Plant (Cuphea ignea)height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- qualitycuttings.comQuality Cuttings wholesale catalog (Cuphea Ignea)height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- University of Florida IFASUF/IFAS Extension EDIS fact sheet FP160 (Cuphea ignea)height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- University of Arkansas ExtensionCuphea igneaheight, spread, sun and trait tags
- RHSRoyal Horticultural Society plant profile (Cuphea ignea)height, spread and sun
- University of Georgia ExtensionCuphea igneaheight, sun and trait tags
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
5 more colors in the Cuphea group
Same genus, similar care - pick the one you are growing.
Compare every color in the Cuphea group
Every figure is the color's own page fact. Tap a name to open it.
| Name | Color | Blooms | Hardiness | Sun | Size (H × W) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cuphea (Cigarthis page | Red | May–Oct | Zones 9–11 | Full sun | 16 in × 16 in |
| FloriGlory Cuphea | Red | May–Oct | Zones 8–11 | Full sun | 14 in × 16 in |
| Mexican Heather | Purple | May–Oct | Zones 8–11 | Full sun | 12 in × 16 in |
| Pink Mexican Heather | Pink | May–Oct | Zones 8–11 | Full sun | 12 in × 16 in |
| Vermillionaire Cuphea | Orange | May–Oct | Zones 9–11 | Full sun | 20 in × 20 in |
| White Mexican Heather | White | May–Oct | Zones 8–11 | Full sun | 12 in × 16 in |
Good to know about Cuphea (Cigar Plant)
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note. A note reports what its source says; where that differs from a fact above, the fact above is this entry's stored value, and its mark says whether it has been checked.
Worth knowing
Each slender orange-red bloom has a white-rimmed mouth and a tiny dark tip, so it looks like a lit cigar with ash and a glowing ember. Hence 'cigar flower.' per NC State
Size depends on climate
As a container or bedding annual it stays compact, about 0.45 to 0.75 m; planted in frost-free Florida ground it grows larger and much wider. per NC State and University of Florida
A hummingbird magnet
The tubular, nectar-rich red-orange flowers are exactly what hummingbirds prefer; Wisconsin ranks cuphea among the best hummingbird plants for the Midwest. It also feeds bees and butterflies. per Wisconsin and NC State
No deadheading needed
It is self-cleaning: it blooms nonstop to frost without deadheading. Pinch stem tips only if plants get leggy, to keep them bushy, not to keep flowers coming. per NC State
Grown as an annual
A tender tropical perennial killed by frost, so most gardeners grow it as a warm-season annual. Start seed indoors 10 to 12 weeks before your last spring frost. per NC State and Missouri Botanical
Built for heat
NC State lists it as resistant to drought, heat, and humidity, so it keeps flowering through midsummer when many cool-season annuals fade. It is not salt tolerant. per NC State
What pairs well with Cuphea (Cigar Plant)
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Sneezeweed
Shares full sun and moderate water; both are strong pollinator plants; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; taller at 3.5 ft, for the layer behind it.
Globe Thistle
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; both are strong pollinator plants; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; taller at 3.5 ft, for the layer behind it.
Perennial Sunflower
Shares full sun and moderate water; both are strong pollinator plants; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; taller at 5 ft, for the layer behind it.
Hyacinth
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; lower at 10 in, for the front of the border.
Rosemary
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; opens in early spring and overlaps into this one's season; both are strong pollinator plants; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Windflower
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; lower at 6 in, for the front of the border.
Winterberry
Shares full sun and moderate to high water; overlaps, then carries the display into early winter; both are strong pollinator plants; taller at 6.5 ft, for the layer behind it.
Serviceberry
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; its white flowers settle the red.
All 8 companion pairings for Cuphea (Cigar Plant) →
Try Cuphea (Cigar Plant) with its top companions in a garden →
Featured in these guides
Explore similar plants
You might also like
Design a garden with this
Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.