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emilycompost
Plants

Cuphea hyssopifolia
Mexican Heather
LYTHRACEAE

Mexican HeatherThis is a very cute, shrubby, evergreen perennial originally from Southeast US, Mexico, and Central and South America. So it is right at home!

This one is only about 18 inches tall and has half-inch purple flowers most of the summer.

It is also called the Elfin herb, False heather, and Hawaiian heather.

Full sun to part shade, it is supposed to live in zones 10-12 (this one lives in the ground on the border of zones 8 and 9). It is often used as a house plant.

In warmer areas it could become invasive.

Short lived, it reseeds itself readily. You can also propagate it by division or by rooting softwood cuttings in late spring.

It is prone to whitefly, and aphids.


Some questions from Emily's mailbox:

Q: Hello, I would like to know if any part of the Mexican Heather is poisonous to either children or pets. Thank you.

A: I cannot find Mexican Heather or Heather on any of my poisonous plant lists or websites.

Here are my favorite poison plant websites:
http://www.sniksnak.com/plants-toxic.html
http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/index.html http://www.vth.colostate.edu/poisonous_plants/report/search.cfm

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