Michelle, Cupheas will die if allowed to freeze. If it is a light freeze it may come back in the spring. It may also reseed. I have bat-faced cuphea and I have heard it referred to as torpedo cuphea but I am not sure if that is the same one you saw or not. You could try mulching them really well to protect them when your winter finally sets in. You probably still have enough time to plant them out and get them established in your gardn before you get your first frost.

Penny

I'm ready to torpedo my cuphea. No blooms on all my plants, ever.

Lisa

Lisa,
My Bat-faced has been growing and flowering like crazy all summer long. I have even let it dry out completely a couple of times (not intentionally) and the flowers and leaves look all shriveled and as soon as I soaked it down it bounced right back. It even managed to survive the Japanese beetle infestation.

Penny

This is my first year having hummie plantz, and my one cigar plant is blooming all over, tho it took awhile to get going. The name on the tag is "Tiny Winnie", which I haven't heard of on this forum. I'm wondering how different it really is, and in what way. It hasn't gotten much beyond 12-15" tall, but spreads out. Anyone grown this variety? And can you take cuttings to winter over, in case the one in the ground doesn't come back? Do you suggest starting cuttings in water, or right into a pot?

LindaSkyview

I'm nearly certain that another member posted that it is a re-seeder in her garden. She is also in zone 6. I purchased the same variety that LindaSkyview referred to on the 50c rack at Lowe's. They had been de-leafed by Japanese beetles but came right back after being debugged and watered. BUT I have seen NOone going to them to nectar not even bees. They are very low for the hummers anyway. I'm sure these are annuals. I have native cuphea in my wetland area and it reliably reseeds but I don't see much action at those plants either. Obviously they get fertilized if they are reseeding but I am not terribly impressed with the cultivated variety or the wild ones. There are more interesting and pretty plants that the hummers and butterflies like.
spiderwoman

spiderwoman,
The hummerz and beez have been all over the batfaced cuphea. I have it in a large hanging basket. In fact it was one of the very first plantz that my hummrs started using this year even ahead of the salvias

Here is a pic of one of my hummerz and my cuphea. It is not a good pic as it was real overcast that day the hummer is on the left.

{{gwi:1000512}}

I am going to try and take cuttings this year because this plant isn't available in my area. I bought it at a nursery in southern Indiana

Penny

Of course as soon as I say they aren't using the plant the birdz were feeding there this morning. A pair (at least 2 birdz together)were using the plantz this morning. I bet if I put them up higher like yours Penny the birdz would use them. My plants are kind of making a mat that hugs the ground and probably feels really risky for the birdz to get down that low.
Can you tell me what the other plant in your photo is Penny? I love that one, a species fuchsia?
spiderwoman

My cuphea ignea plants have been heavily in bloom since they were planted and are now over 2 feet tall. We watched them scare the hummers last weekend. The flowers acted like a chinese finger box, seeming to grab their bills when the hummingbirds tried to withdraw. It was disturbing enough that the hummers moved back to feeding on the salvias.

Spiderwomen yes the other flwr in the picture is a fuschia...Gartenmeister Bonstadt. I purchased two in 3 inch pots in the spring this year where normally I only buy one and put each in its own large pot that would fit down into and rest on the rim of the top ring of a tomato cage. I pushed the tines down into the soil to keep it braced in this way they are elevated more than being planted inground and they have more room to grow than in a hanging basket. The tomato cages were spray painted black to make them inconspicuous and I have one on either side of an arbor with baskets of red impatiens hanging from shepherds'hooks above. Since that arbor is in a shady area the fushia and impatiens on the sides at different heights took away the appearance of a vineless arbor.

Penny

Linda Skyview - Not sure about Tiny Winnie cuphea, however, I am growing a cuphea called Tiny Mice and Twinkle Pink. Tiny Mice looks similar to the Bat Faced cuphea, or maybe mine was mis-tagged. I would guess that cuphea would be an annual in your climate, but it may re-seed for you. Ruth