Bat-faced Cuphea is a charming hybrid sub-shrub that delivers pure personality in a compact package. Each tubular flower sports a rose-red to pink-violet calyx with a pair of red, ear-like petals that genuinely resemble a tiny bat's face, blooming continuously from late spring through frost. Growing 12 to 24 inches tall and wide, this tender evergreen shrives in full sun across USDA zones 9-12, though gardeners in colder regions can grow it as an annual, in containers, or indoors over winter. Its compact, bushy habit and low maintenance needs make it an unexpectedly rewarding addition to borders, containers, or sunny spots where hummingbirds can find it.
Full Sun
Moderate
9-12
24in H x 24in W
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High
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The bat-faced flowers are unlike anything else in the garden, with their distinctive ear-like petals creating an instantly recognizable silhouette that draws hummingbirds and smiles in equal measure. Blooming freely and continuously from late spring to the first frost, the plant sustains color through the longest, hottest days without flagging. Its rounded, bushy form stays naturally compact, rarely needing heavy pruning, and it tolerates both the humidity of southern gardens and the stress of container living with equal grace.
Bat-faced Cuphea is grown primarily as an ornamental accent plant for its showy, whimsical flowers and ability to attract hummingbirds to the garden. In colder climates, it serves well as an annual bedding plant or a container specimen that can be moved indoors during winter months. Its compact size and low maintenance habit also suit it to window gardens and indoor growing in cooler regions.
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Pruning is minimal but helpful. As plants grow through the season and may become leggy, pinch or trim stem tips to encourage a fuller, bushier form. This light pruning also extends flowering by promoting branching and new flower clusters.
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“Bat-faced Cuphea is a hybrid resulting from a cross between Cuphea llavea and Cuphea procumbens. This intentional breeding created a plant that combines the ornamental appeal of both parents, resulting in the distinctive tubular flowers with their characteristic bat-like appearance that has made it beloved by gardeners seeking unusual, pollinator-friendly ornamentals.”