Sure can Ellery. I am waiting to see what the experts say too. I have one growing very nicely.

It's a perfect plant for a hanging basket that's where I had mine. Sarah

Mine is in a hanging basket, too. It is growing well, but slowly. Try Dave's Garden website or google the plant. I am new to Bat face as well. They sure are cute, though.

While we were in Indiana I picked up what was labeled as Cuphea Ignea 'Matchless' but after reading this post and looking at pictures of the Bat-Faced Cuphea, it looks as though my cuphea may be a Bat-Faced also. I put it in a large container when we got home yesterday but I am thinking now that I should put it in a hanging basket so my hummers can reach it better. I also picked up another B&B and another Agastache which was not labeled.

Penny

Oh Penny your garden is really growing.

Yes it is an now I am starting to run out of room but that is ok because anything that blooms that I don't like will be removed to make room for more salvias, etc.

Penny

Don't let the soil get too dry on this Cuphea; I found it has a tendency to fill the basket, and then dry out quickly. Add some water retaining crystals in the soil mix to help out.

I had one last year (also bought one this year too). It did seem to dry out in the summer's heat. I had to water it every day. I just had mine in a container (not hanging) and it grew to maybe 18 inches tall. But, I think it might have gotten bigger if I had put it in a bigger pot. I did bring it in on my unheated porch over the winter, but it did not survive. Good luck, they are cute plants.

Mine is planted in a flower bed. I wonder if it will come back next year.

I had one a few years ago. It's pretty and the hummers visited it, but it wasn't the best hummer plant. As I remember it got to about a foot to a foot and-a-half when I planted it in the ground.

You will need to water it often if you leave it in the pot.

I have had seedlings of Batface Cuphea come up in the cracks of broken concrete, full sun, no water. Plants transplanted from pots aren't as drought tolerant, but once they are established they can take heat and drought reasonably well.

That doesn't surprise me because I have seedlings coming up from the regular cigar plant right below the potted cigar plant. To me it looks more like mickey mouse than a bats face. Sarah

Sarah,
THat is a very good analogy! It does resemble the mickey mouse graphic. If they painted mickey's ears red you would have a hard time telling them appart.

Penny

Will they overwinter in the garage in Zone 7? Mine are doing great in pots and I would really like to try and save them when it gets cold.

Well oublette if they don't overwinter they will reseed. Penny maybe if they named it mickey mouse they'd have to pay Disney. Sarah

Sarah,
You are probably right about paying royalties to Disney LOL!

Penny

Glad to know they will seed. Could not mow this morning so I took cuttings from batface, cigar plant, pineapple sage, and lantana and potted them. Also dug up my thymes and oregano from a bed and gave them their own space. They were taking over my salvias. Couldn't let this happen. I also was making room to plant some rooted cuttings of salvias.

Normal genetic variation will make some of them look more like a mouse than a bat. The species (C. llavea) usually looks like a bat though.

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Other species have smaller 'ears.'

This one has Mickey Mouse ears:

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I don't know what species of Cuphea it is. I took this picture last year here in Sacramento. Some old-timer said there used to be several of them around the older parts of Sacramento. It is no longer there. The city ripped it out to widen the corner of a sidewalk that was already eight feet wide for handicapped purposes.

Anyway, I was able to get several cuttings. They have not bloomed yet.

Thanks for showing us those pictures. They sure are different looking! Sarah

has anyone ever grown them from seed? I have some and wanted to grow this plant but I have no instructions to get started.

Mine is now flourishing, in a hangingbasket, and in a "hot spot" for the hummers, and there is one that loves it! Works all over it - wehave had a ton of rain, so it has stayed soaked, and it is in partial sun on a plant stand - the other cuphea is in the sun and stretching out a bit - don't know if the hummers go for it or not - it will be repotting time soon!

I take it from the comments above that it's not just me when I comes to cuphea labeling. I picked up 3 Cuphea igneas last month that were named Mexican Heather. That is I think they're igneas. The only thing I'm certain of is they're no Mexican Heather. But whatever they are the hummingbirds like them and they've been perfectly happy growing with the orange geranium Vancover Centennial and a Miss Huff Lantana. I'm wondering if it might be David Verity but I just don't have enough experience with igneas to tell. Mine are not in pots, they are in the ground, and seem to need no special treatment.

Mine wintered over last year in the DFW area, but I had it mulched heavily with oak leaves.

We are leaving DFW and moving to Greenville, Texas. I wonder if I should try to take cuttings (how?) or try digging it up now. I have a small greenhouse up there, so I could try wintering it over in a pot.

What do y'all say?