My cupheas are all planted. I am thinking about cutting back my Batfaced and Cigar plant and putting them in pots and bringing them inside for the winter. My Mexican Heather comes back every year.

I have a Florida room that is 28' X 25' ft I bet it would hold lots of plants. I will just throw out the wicker furniture.

I will just throw out the wicker furniture

Mimi, you always crack me up!

I have some bat-faced cuphea that I want to try and overwinter as well. Will it survive in Zone 7 in a garage, or does it have to be brought indoors?

Mimi...if you see a car prowling back and forth by your house, it's just me...waiting to snag the wicker when you toss it!
lol

sorry to go off-topic. I don't have the answser, but will attempt to overwinter my potted bf cuphea in my garage. I'll give it a 50% chance at best. inside a greenhouse or sunporch would probably be the best.

Patrick

Oubliette I would think that it would unless it just got terribly cold.

A friend us supposed to be getting me her mother's selves that were used for African violets. She also has growing lights. Before this post I had already started thinking about turning my room into a greenhouse for the winter. I want to root some of these plants that die back during the winter and also to start seeds early next year.

My DH wants me to grow tomatoes too. Nothing like a good fresh tomato.

I'm not sure about batface cuphea but the cigar cuphea reseeds like crazy so even if you don't overwinter you might get some more plants next year. Sarah

Cigar Plant is sold as a houseplant in some countries, so with adequate lighting you should be able to overwinter the plant in the house. I'm inclined to think the same about Cuphea laevis (Twinkle Pink). Batface Cuphea appears to have a much higher need for light, but worth the try.

I have been making cuttings of the first two during the winters with little problem. I set the flat near a south facing window and add a few hours of extra lighting, and take them outside on milder winter days.

I am going to try and get some cuttings - this is the beginning of the battle for space on the dining room table - I WILL buy new salvias next year; I will NOT bring in every monster that has grown in my yard and try to save it; I WILL have room to eat and see out the window; I will put my pots of salvias in the back yard and mulch them and wish them well! Ha.

Ellery

Go for it Ellery - lead the way. I at least have a florida room. But I also have a wife that hates how the room looks in winter with its crowds of plants. Personally, I like it. For me it is the distillation of summer. When anyone asks me what happened to summer, I tell them to go out on the back porch. That I've shrunk it down into a 15X20 space, and don't plan to let it out until next May. But to get summer onto a diningroom table and still have room to eat, that takes planning.

We were speaking B-F cuphea weren't we? Lowe's has had Bat-faced on sale locally for about four dollars - nice plants. Has anyone overwintered cuphea ignea on a cool porch. Supposedly they are hardy to zone 8a so the porch might work? Do they need lots of sun? And lastly, do their cutting roots easily? They have grown so well here I want more, and I don't want to pay for them.

I plan to take cuttings and start them next month. I hope it cools off some. Right now I don't even want to get outside.

Very good question

I have been collecting seed from my batfaced cuphea and I plan to try some cuttings. not sure if I will bring the whole plant in yet or not.

Penny

What does the Batfaced Cuphea look like? I have a plant I bought at Lowe's. I think the tag just said Orange Cuphea. Mimi, I'm with you this heat is killing me.

My Bat Face has done so well this year, I hate to think of losing it, but it is on it's own.

I got caught up in saving plants long ago when a friend gave me an Australian fern.
I loved that thing and nurtured it inside in the winter until it outgrew my house, garage
and even the HIGH ceiling in the great room.
I finally turned my back that last summer and let it go.

I am of the attitude now, if it can survive outside in the
winter, great, if not, too bad.

Here is a pic:

{{gwi:993762}}

I overwinter batface in an unheated sunroom with east/ south exposure. I am zone 8.
I have tried it in my greenhouse but it gets spots on it's leaves from humidity I believe. The spots do go away in summer but it looks bad in spring. I wouls guess it likes it drier.
Minimal winter water , & above 32 degrees with low humidity...? would be my thought.
cigar plant will reseed easily in temperate climates. It loves the greenhouse or any plant put in the garage in at least my zone 8. It grows everywhere! The hummers love it. Plant lots of red things to draw hummingbirds to your yard.

Oubliette, thanks for the pic. That's what I have but mine looks bad. I moved it from the front in full sun to the back in partial shade.

I have had to keep mine in partial shade most of the summer as our weather has been so unnaturally hot here this year. I was having to water it two or three times a day. I learned this year that most full sun plants do just as well in partial shade especially when those temps are in the 90's and above. Even my million bells are in partial sun and doing much better.

Penny