• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Yard and Garage

Beautiful Lawns and Organized Garages

  • Home
  • Articles
  • Topics +
    • Lawn Care
    • Garage Organization
    • Outdoor Living
    • Tools and Gear
    • Garage Repair
    • Gardening
  • Tools I Use
  • Outdoor Product Reviews

Mexican Heather – A Hardy Plant for Your Garden

Last Updated on February 14, 2021 by Lisa Page

2PinterestFacebookTwitterLinkedIn
2
SHARES

Mexican Heather plants in containers

I went to see my dad this weekend. He’s working in the yard, as usual, laying sod to fill in some bare spots. In addition to the sod, I see that he has purchased a dozen or so of his favorite plants – Mexican Heather.

My dad absolutely loves this plant. My parents travel a lot since they are retired and he says that no matter how long they are gone, these plants never die.

About Mexican Heather

Mexican heather (Cuphea hyssopifolia) is also referred to as False Heather. This is because it is not that Bonnie heather that grows up in the Scottish Highlands.

Mexican Heather

Botanical Name: Cuphea hyssopifolia
Sun: Full Sun / Partial Shade
Plant Height: 2 feet
Plant Width: 2.5 feet
Landscape Uses: Borders, edging, accents

As the name implies it is native to Mexico and some neighboring Central American countries. It does well here in Alabama as we’re zone 8 and the zone range for this plant is 8-11.

The plant is a great groundcover that flowers for most of the year. Depending on the variety, you can have white, pink or light purple flowers. We have always chosen lavender flowers.

Mexican heather is a wonderful choice for your mailbox area, borders along walkways or as filler in your flower beds. The small, delicate purple flowers can add a wonderful pop of color to your landscaping.

Mexican Heather Flowers

Maximum height outside of a container is generally a little over 12-24 inches tall and it will spread out a bit.

Mexican heather can be either a perennial or an annual. In our experience, my dad has always had to replace the majority of the plants each year. I think our zone is on the cusp so if you live elsewhere, you may be able to have the plants come back year after year.

How to Grow Mexican Heather

Mexican heather with gardening hand tools

Sun

Choose a location that will get full sun to partial shade. If Mexican heather receives too much sun, you will notice that the foliage will start to fade a bit. The plants are pretty hardy so it should not be difficult to find a location.

Soil

You will want to plant Mexican heather about 2-3 feet apart in soil that drains well. It will need to be irrigated frequently but should align with your regular watering schedule for your lawn. Of course, during the summer you may need to water more often.

Moisture Level

If the soil is dry to your touch about an inch or so under the soil then it is low on moisture.

Pruning

My dad lets his Mexican heather plants grow pretty freely. If you have planted them along a walkway or other border area, you may need to prune them to keep them in check.

Insects

As I’ve noted before, Mexican heather plants are super hardy and we’ve never had any issues with insects. Others though have noted that Mexican heather can be quite attractive to flea beetles so be on the lookout for them.

flea beetle
Flea Beetle image by Brett Hondow from Pixabay

They are small black insects with long antennae and they love to chew holes in plant leaves. If you do find them in your garden, there are both professional and homemade remedies to get rid of them.

natural photo false heather with butterfly

Summary

If you are a novice gardener, or maybe just a busy one, I think you will find Mexican heather to be a great choice. It’s an attractive, hardy plant with an extremely long blooming period.

false heather in bloom
False Heather image by Brett Hondow from Pixabay

Mexican heather is a plant that will thrive in areas where other plants may have struggled.

Was this post helpful?

Let us know if you liked the post. That’s the only way we can improve.
2PinterestFacebookTwitterLinkedIn
2
SHARES

Related Posts

  • How to Get Rid of Snails in Your Garden
    snailing moving across plant

    The little buggers may look cute but they can wreak havoc on your plants by…

  • 10 Helpful & Easy Container Gardening Tips
    Container Gardening Tips

    Need to add some color or maybe cover a difficult growing space? One of the…

  • 11 Fabulous Gardening Blogs You Should Check Out
    best gardening blogs

    If you're an avid gardener I know you are always searching for new blogs to…

Filed Under: Gardening

Primary Sidebar

The Yard and Garage Story

View looking up from the ground towards a lawn mowerYard and Garage is a free resource for homeowners, providing everything from in-depth outdoor product reviews to how-to guides. Yard and Garage is owned and operated by Redland Media. To learn more, please read our about page and our affiliate disclosure.

Recent Posts

  • Grow Your Own Aromatherapy Garden
  • How Big Is An Acre?
  • How Much Does a Yard of Topsoil Weigh
  • What Are The Best Plants For an Edible Landscape?
  • All About Hummingbird Sage (Salvia spathacea)

Categories

  • Garage Organization
  • Garage Repair
  • Gardening
  • Lawn Care
  • Outdoor Living
  • Reviews
  • Tools and Gear

YardandGarage.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc or its affiliates.

Footer

Site Links

  • About Yard and Garage
  • Recommended Tools
  • Reviews
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service

Follow Yard and Garage

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • YouTube

Contact Us

  • Contact Form
  • via Email

Mailing Address

Redland Media, LLC
9164 Eastchase Parkway
Suite 127
Montgomery, AL 36117
334-245-4316

© 2021 Yard and Garage