Mexican Heather (Cuphea hyssopifolia)

Tiny purple flowers from spring to frost on a neat, compact mound.

Mexican Heather is a small evergreen shrub that blooms almost nonstop. Hundreds of little lavender-purple flowers sit above fine, glossy green leaves, and the plant stays a rounded mound about 18 to 24 inches wide. It handles Southern heat well, asks for very little once established, and butterflies and bees work it all season. Ships in a 1-gallon container.

Key Features:

• Mature Size: 12–24 inches tall and 18–24 inches wide

• Growth Habit: Compact, rounded mound; stays tidy without pruning

• Bloom: Small purple flowers spring through first frost

• Pollinators: Attracts butterflies and bees

• Tough & Adaptable: Takes heat and humidity; drought tolerant once established

Ideal For:

• Front of borders and walkway edging

• Mass plantings as a flowering groundcover

• Porch and patio containers

• Mixed beds with lantana, salvia and Turk's Cap

• Hardy in zones 9–11; grown as a summer annual farther north

Care: Full sun to partial shade. Plant in well-drained soil and water regularly until established. Trim lightly in spring if needed. Container grown and hand packed in central Louisiana.