Bat-Face Cuphea (Cuphea llavea)

General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit:	Herb/Forb
Life cycle:	Perennial
Sun Requirements:	Full Sun
Water Preferences:	Mesic
Soil pH Preferences:	Neutral (6.6 – 7.3)
Minimum cold hardiness:	Zone 9a -6.7 °C (20 °F) to -3.9 °C (25 °F)
Plant Height:	18 to 30 inches
Plant Spread:	24 to 36 inches
Leaves:	Evergreen
Flowers:	Showy
Flower Color:	Bi-Color: Purple and Red
Flower Time:	Late spring or early summer Summer Late summer or early fall
Suitable Locations:	Houseplant
Uses:	Suitable as Annual
Wildlife Attractant:	Butterflies Hummingbirds
Propagation: Seeds:	Provide light Needs specific temperature: likes around 70 degrees F Days to germinate: 8 to 10 days Depth to plant seed: very shallow Start indoors Can handle transplanting Other info: start indoors 10 to 12 weeks before last average frost
Propagation: Other methods:	Cuttings: Tip
Pollinators:	Moths and Butterflies
Containers:	Suitable in 3 gallon or larger
Miscellaneous:	Monoecious

Common names

Bat-Face Cuphea
Cuphea
St. Peter's Plant
Tiny Mice
Bunny Ears

Botanical names

Accepted: Cuphea llavea
Synonym: Cuphea blepharophylla

Photo Gallery

Location: Northern California, Zone 9b
Date: 2022-08-31
Overhead view

Uploaded by DebraZone9

Uploaded by Seedsower

Location: Historic City Cemetery, Sacramento CA.
Date: 2014-07-20

Uploaded by HamiltonSquare

Uploaded by hawkeyewx

Uploaded by Joy

Uploaded by Char

Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Date: 2021-06-12

Uploaded by LyraLu

Uploaded by Joy

Location: Hamilton Square Perennial Garden, Historic City Cemetery, Sacramento CA.
Date: 2014-08-29

Uploaded by HamiltonSquare

Location: My garden in Warrenville, SC
Date: July 29, 2015

Uploaded by scflowers

Uploaded by Joy

Location: central Illinois
Date: 2014-07-16

Uploaded by jmorth

Location: central Illinois
Date: 2014-07-05

Uploaded by jmorth

Uploaded by christinereid54

Location: West Chester, Pennsylvania
Date: 2019-08-19
used as annual in big pot

Uploaded by ILPARW

Uploaded by sedumzz

Uploaded by Bubbles

Location: Austin ,TX
Date: October
Considered an annual in my garden. By December, it's gone.

Uploaded by Bubbles

Location: San Antonio TX
Date: 2017-07-26

Uploaded by ricelg

Uploaded by sedumzz

Uploaded by pirl

Location: Crestview Florida
Date: 2015-08-01

Uploaded by flagardener

Uploaded by tropicgirl

Location: my garden, Gent, Belgium
Date: 2011-09-21

Uploaded by bonitin

Uploaded by bonitin

Location: RHS Harlow Carr, Yorkshire, UK
Date: 2018-08-31

Uploaded by kniphofia

Location: My garden in Gent, Belgium
Date: 2011-08-10

Uploaded by bonitin

Location: My garden in Gent, Belgium
Date: 2011-08-28

Uploaded by bonitin

Uploaded by Paul2032

Uploaded by pirl

Uploaded by pirl

Uploaded by pirl

Uploaded by pirl

Uploaded by pirl

Uploaded by sedumzz

Uploaded by bonitin

Location: Coastal San Diego County
Date: 2017-07-19
Cuphea corner

Uploaded by carlysuko

Location: my garden, Gent, Belgium
Date: 2011-07-27

Uploaded by bonitin

Uploaded by purpleinopp

Uploaded by purpleinopp

Location: central Illinois
Date: 2014-06-16

Uploaded by jmorth

Location: West Chester, Pennsylvania
Date: 2019-08-19
close-up of flowers of annual in pot

Uploaded by ILPARW

Uploaded by Paul2032

Uploaded by sedumzz

Uploaded by Joy

Location: central Illinois
Date: 2014-10-16

Uploaded by jmorth

Location: my garden, Gent, Belgium
Date: 2011-09-20

Uploaded by bonitin

Location: central Illinois
Date: 2014-09-29

Uploaded by jmorth

Location: Pinellas Park,FL
Date: 2012-09-03

Uploaded by Budgielover

Uploaded by purpleinopp

Location: Jefferson County, Texas
Date: May 15, 2012

Uploaded by Horntoad

Uploaded by Horntoad

Location: West Chester, Pennsylvania
Date: 2019-08-19
flowers and foliage of annual in pot

Uploaded by ILPARW

Uploaded by Paul2032

Uploaded by Paul2032

Uploaded by Paul2032

Date: c. 1846
illustration [as Cuphea miniata] from 'Flore des serres et des ja

Uploaded by scvirginia

Location: central Illinois
Date: 2014-05-31

Uploaded by jmorth

Uploaded by bonitin

This plant is tagged in:

Comments:

Posted by ILPARW (southeast Pennsylvania - Zone 6b) on Aug 19, 2019 2:32 PM concerning plant:

This May of 2019 is the first time I ever saw this new annual on the market here in Pennsylvania, USA. I was looking for the Cigar-Plant Cuphea (C. ignea) with orange tubular flowers, but they had none this year, so I found this new species instead. I planted it in a big pot and it did well, getting about 30 inches high. The Ruby-throated Hummingbirds come to feed off the nectar. This Bat-Face Cuphea is one of about 260 species of Cuphea, all from tropical America, in the Loosestrife Family of Lythraceae. This is a broadleaf evergreen sub-shrub native to Mexico. However, like a good number of tropical woody plants or semi-woody plants, it can be used as a annual flower in temperate regions of the world to bloom the whole summer season. It can also be used as a houseplant in a sunny interior. This winter I will bring it inside and expect it to survive to place outside the next May.

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Plant Events from our members
Catmint20906	On June 4, 2015	Obtained plant
Mielikki	On June 10, 2023	Plant Ended (Removed, Died, Discarded, etc) Transplanted to a pot with no drainage and realized it too late :(
Mielikki	On August 25, 2022	Obtained plant

» Post your own event for this plant

Discussion Threads about this plant

Thread Title	Last Reply	Replies
Wow! by flaflwrgrl	Sep 12, 2013 11:34 PM	2
Tropaeolum tricolorum (tricolor) by Mutisia	Oct 3, 2015 12:05 AM	5
Bats by gardengus	Dec 14, 2015 8:47 PM	0

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Cuphea Bat-Face Cuphea (Cuphea llavea)

Cuphea
Bat-Face Cuphea (Cuphea llavea)