The scientific name of Cigar plant is
Cuphea ignea, the plant care is not complicated and the returning blooms make
it a fun little shrub to grow in the garden. Continue reading to learn more on
how to grow cigar plants in your landscape.
Cigar Plant Info
The cigar plant is an annual in most
USDA plant hardiness zones; also the cigar plant flower is a tender perennial
in other places and is sometimes called firecracker plant. The cigar plant is a
small, multi-stemmed shrub with prolific red blooms that seem to burst like
fireworks. These wonderful small red flowers have black and white lips and a
tubular shape similar to that of a cigar. The white rim gives the appearance of
the cigar being lit, hence the common name. The cigar plant flower grows in
zones nine through twelve year-round but can grow as an annual in other areas. If
you are actually growing cigar plants as an annual in cooler zones, the blooms
appear in summer. In the more tropical areas where it is hardy, the cigar
plants bloom off and on all year-round.
How to Propagate Cigar Plant
The botanical name of the cigar
plants is Cuphea ignea and the flowers bloom in full sun to partial shade. The
small cigar plant shrub usually reaches no more than twenty-four inches in
height, although some cigar plant info says it can reach a height and spread of
up to three feet. The plant generally remains in a neat, mounded clump. The Cigar
plant is an attractive plant that entices hummingbirds to the garden.
How to Care for Cigar Plant Flower
The cigar plant care is all about
growing the cigar plants in the right kind of soil and also keeping them well
watered. If the plant is properly located you’ll be rewarded with abundant
blooms. Growing cigar plants need light and also an average soil that drains very
well. While the plant is somewhat drought resistant, the plant also performs
best when it is watered regularly. The care of cigar plant often includes the
pinching of the leggy stems during the growing season. An occasional grooming
in the care of cigar plants helps them maintain their rounded, attractive form.
When growing cigar plant in cooler zones in a container, make sure you care for
the cigar plant indoor during the winter. Now that you know what a cigar plant
is, you can think of starting a cigar plant for flowers in your landscape. You
can look for cigar plant seeds online or at specialty plant outlets. If you
know someone who already has this plant you can try starting one from a small
cutting. The care of cigar plant is minimal, no diseases or pests are common.
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