Cigar plant features tubular, orange-red flowers rimmed with white and purple, giving the flowers the look of a burning cigar with ashes at the tip.
Known botanically as Cuphea ignea, this flowering shrub is easy to grow and makes an eye-catching houseplant. Give it lots of sunlight and you’ll enjoy plenty of flowers for months on end.
I. Appearance and Characteristics
Cuphea ignea, the cigar plant, cigar flower, firecracker plant, or Mexican cigar, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Cuphea of the family Lythraceae. It is a tropical, densely branched evergreen subshrub. This species, native to Mexico and the West Indies, produces small, tubular, bright red to orange flowers. Each flower is tipped with a thin white rim and two small purple-black petals. The flowers, which are attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies, resemble lit cigars, hence the name ignea, which is Latin for “fiery”. The genus name Cuphea comes from the Greek word kyphos which means curved or humped; this is thought to refer to the shape of the seeds.
It is a small, multi-stemmed shrub with prolific red blooms that seem to burst like fireworks. These small red flowers have black and white lips and a tubular shape similar to that of a cigar. The white rim gives the appearance of the cigar being lit, hence the common name. The cigar plant flower grows in zones 9b through 12 year-round but can grow as an annual in other areas. When growing cigar plants as an annual in cooler zones, the blooms appear in summer. In the more tropical areas where it is hardy, cigar plants bloom off and on all year-round.
In temperate climates Cuphea ignea requires a warm, sheltered spot, as it does not tolerate frost. Alternatively it may be grown under glass or indoors as a houseplant. In the UK this plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit (confirmed 2017).
In the US, Cuphea ignea is winter hardy to USDA zones 10–12. It is somewhat drought tolerant, but prefers well-watered, well-drained soils.
II. How to Grow and Care
Sunlight
Cigar plant prefers full sun, but most varieties will tolerate partial shade. If possible, plant your cigar plant in full sun to prevent plants from becoming leggy and to promote the brightest flower booms.
Temperature and Humidity
Mexican cigar plants need a sheltered spot, out of strong winds, and don’t forget these plants are frost tender. They will only be able to survive as an annual in areas that have cold winters, or, alternatively, they will need to be brought indoors before the frosts arrive.
If you are keeping this species as a houseplant, they will appreciate regular misting to provide them with the humidity they enjoy. They will even appreciate this during the winter months, as conditions tend to be drier through this season—particularly if you are using heating a lot.
Watering
For best flowering potential and growth, Mexican cigar plants prefer moist conditions and appreciate a decent amount of watering. This is especially important when they are establishing and through their growing season.
They do have a high tolerance for hot summers, though, and have some drought tolerance too. Just don’t expect such an impressive and long-lasting array of flowering if you let them get overly dry now and then. In the winter, watering can be significantly reduced, but they still appreciate being kept moist.
Soil
The best soils for cigar plant are fertile and well-drained, and the plant isn’t fussy about soil pH. The plant is fairly drought-tolerant, but will grow more fully and quickly in soils that are adequately moist and fertile. Cigar plant responds well to soils amended with organic matter, such as a fully-rotted compost. If this is not available, top-dressing the soil with 2.5 to 5 cm of organic mulch will provide compost as the mulch begins to break down. For the serious grower, soil testing at the end of the growing season will indicate which, if any, soil amendments are needed.
Fertilizing
Cigar plant will benefit from fertilizer. A balanced organic fertilizer can be applied lightly by mixing some into the soil before planting. plants can also be drenched with a liquid fertilizer in mid-summer to stimulate new growth. Seedlings do not need fertilizer to start off with, but will benefit from feeding 3 to 4 weeks after-germination with a starter solution (half the strength of usual indoor plant food). A light fertilizer may also be applied just after the appearance of new growth. If using fertilizers that come in granular form, be sure to keep the fertilizer away from the crown and foliage to avoid plant burn. If using a slow-release fertilizer, these should be used at rates lower than those specified on the label to reduce the risk of root rot.
Pruning
In mid-summer, older branches can be snipped off to maintain a neat appearance and to prolong flowering until fall. The vigor and visual appeal of many varieties will be improved through pruning or cutting back to the ground at the end of winter. Others, such as Cuphea Ignia (“Cigar plant”), will benefit from a summer pruning to encourage branching and denser growth, which prevents legginess.
Propagation
Mexican cigar plants can be easily propagated from stem cuttings. Select healthy growth in the fall or winter and get the cuttings started off indoors. You can also take cuttings in early spring for ones that will be placed in containers. Here’s how:
- Using scissors or pruning shears, snip a healthy cutting(s) about 3 to 4 inches in length from the plant.
- Take the cut edge of the cutting(s) and dip it into root hormone.
- Put the cutting(s) in a container prepared with potting soil and water until moist.
- Placing multiple cuttings together in one pot is a good way to start rooting and growing these plants.
How to Grow from Seed
It is possible to sow the seeds of Mexican cigar plants directly into the ground in late spring if the temperatures are right. Sowing too early can result in overly leggy seedlings as they are quick to grow once they have germinated. Although the seeds have a hard coat, they usually germinate within a few weeks.
If you are concerned about temperatures, you can start the seeds indoors around three months before the expected last frost.
If you plan to use the ripe seeds from an existing Mexican cigar plant, you can harvest these as soon as you see the little yellow seeds appearing on the stalk. They only stay there for a few days, maximum, so you will need to be vigilant.
Potting
Cigar plants are an excellent choice to plant in a large container with drainage holes for an outside patio or front entryway. They also can be a decorative potted plant inside, just pot it in a nice clay pot, with a saucer attached or placed underneath, to catch any water that drains out of the container after watering. To put in a pot, simply use good potting soil and place the plant in the pot making sure to cover the roots and about 1/2 to 1 inch of the stem.
Overwintering
For those areas that are prone to early or hard frosts, the cigar plant can be grown in containers and moved indoors when winter arrives, or it can simply be treated as an annual. Keep it in a warm place in the house that gets sun, and the soil should be kept slightly moist.
Weed Control
Throughout the year, weeds surrounding your cigar plant will need to be manually removed to reduce competition for water, space, and nutrition.
Mulching
Mulch can also be used to reduce competition if weeds are a problem, and will also help to even out soil temperature throughout the year. A mulch made from shredded leaves gives the ground an organic look and will improve the soil as it breaks down. Take care to keep any mulch away from plant stems to avoid stem rot.
Pests and Diseases
The Mexican cigar plant is generally free from pests or diseases. Common pests that might visit this plant’s leaves are aphids, which can be taken care of with neem oil.
How to Get to Bloom
These plants bloom profusely, beginning in the spring and going through to the fall. If cared for properly, you will enjoy a profusion of its brightly colored flowers. Plant them in soil that is kept moist and well-drained, locate them in full to partial sun, and keep them watered. Pinching the stem tips when they start getting too long and look leggy will also help keep this plant healthy and blooming.
III. Uses and Benefits
The low-growing cigar plant looks great in a garden bed where it can provide ground cover as an annual. The foliage rarely reaches above 15″ inches.
Other options include placing the plant in a long planter or window box where it attracts hummingbirds.
It grows well in the sun and can tolerate moderate temperatures, making it suitable for growth outdoors or indoors.
Find Where to Buy the Best Cigar Plant (Cuphea ignea)
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