Family
Lythraceae
Botanical Name
CUPHEA ignea( MATCHMAKER SERIES)
Plant Common Name
Cigar Flower, Cigar Plant
Special Notice
This entry has yet to be reviewed and approved by L2G editors.
General Description
It’s no wonder this tropical subshrub has gained fast popularity as a bedding plant. The compact plants in the Matchmaker Series display self-cleaning tubular flowers of pale orange-pink, red or buttery white in the hottest months of summer. These interesting tender perennials hail from southern Mexico and Jamaica where they remain evergreen and bushy year round. In colder temperate zones, they are grown as a bedding annual but can be brought indoors to overwinter.
Broad and bushy, cigar plant is covered with small, glossy, medium green leaves with lighter midveins. Its numerous small and thin, tubular blooms are either pale pink-orange, lightyellow (white) or bright red, often with a touch of cream at the lip. Hummingbirds favor the nectar-filled flowers and will busily buzz from one to the next. The blooms are self-cleaning and do not require deadheading.
Full sun is essential for best growth and flowering as is well-drained soil with average to good fertility. Established plants will withstand periods of drought and thrive in heat. Cigar flower is fully evergreen but will die back to ground like a perennial in subtropical areas where occasional frosts occur. Matchmaker Series plants make superb, more compact bedding plants for sunny gardens, hummingbird borders and lively containers filled with other brightly colored bedding flowers.
Characteristics
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AHS Heat Zone
12 - 6
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USDA Hardiness Zone
8 - 11
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Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
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Plant Type
Tender Perennial
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Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
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Height
12"-14" / 30.5cm - 35.6cm
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Width
12"-16" / 30.5cm - 40.6cm
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Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall, Late Fall, Indeterminate
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Native To
Mexico
Growing Conditions
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Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
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Soil Drainage
Well Drained
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Soil type
Clay, Loam, Sand
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Tolerances
Drought
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Growth Rate
Medium
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Water Requirements
Drought Tolerant, Average Water
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Habit
Oval/Rounded
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Seasonal Interest
Summer, Fall
Ornamental Features
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Flower Interest
Showy
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Flower Color
White, Red, Light Yellow, Pink, Salmon, Peach, Ivory
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Foliage Color (Spring)
Green
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Foliage Color (Summer)
Green
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Foliage Color (Fall)
Green
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Foliage Color (Winter)
Green
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Fragrant Flowers
No
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Fragrant Fruit
No
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Fragrant Foliage
No
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Bark or Stem Fragrant
No
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Flower Petal Number
Single
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Repeat Bloomer
Yes
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Showy Fruit
No
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Edible Fruit
No
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Showy Foliage
Yes
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Foliage Texture
Fine
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Foliage Sheen
Glossy
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Evergreen
Yes
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Showy Bark
No
