Cigar Flower is a charming Mexican native that earns its nickname from tubular, bright red blooms tipped with a distinctive thin white rim, resembling glowing cigars. This compact evergreen shrub reaches just 18-30 inches tall and wide, making it nimble enough for containers or garden beds in warm climates (zones 10-12). Flowers appear freely from late spring through frost, drawing hummingbirds with reliable generosity. In cooler regions, it transitions beautifully into an annual or houseplant, thriving on moderate water and full sun with minimal fussing.
Full Sun
Moderate
10-12
30in H x 30in W
—
High
Hover over chart points for details
The flowers themselves tell the story: narrow red tubes crowned with that thin white ring create a visual distinction you won't find in every garden. The plant handles high summer heat effortlessly and tolerates some drought, yet blooms more abundantly with regular moisture. Dense branching and dark green foliage stay tidy without heavy pruning, and hummingbirds visit constantly from late spring until the first frost arrives.
Cigar Flower serves as an ornamental flowering plant valued for its ability to sustain hummingbird populations throughout the warm season. In warm climates, it anchors containers, garden beds, and borderscapes where the persistent blooms and compact growth prevent the leggy sprawl that sometimes plagues flowering shrubs. In cooler regions, it excels as a seasonal annual, houseplant, or container specimen moved indoors for winter, extending the season indoors where blooms continue under bright light.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Sow seeds indoors 10-12 weeks before your last spring frost date. Place seeds on moist seedling mix and keep at warm temperatures until germination. Transplant seedlings into individual pots once they develop true leaves.
After hardening off for 7-10 days, transplant seedlings outdoors once soil has warmed and the danger of frost has passed. Space plants 18-30 inches apart to allow for mature width.
Prune stems back lightly as the season progresses to prevent the leggy growth habit that naturally develops over time. This maintains the bushy, dense form and encourages branching for more flowers. In warm climates where the plant persists year to year, cut back moderately in late winter or early spring.
Enter your ZIP code to see a personalized growing calendar for this plant.
“Cuphea ignea hails from Mexico and the West Indies, where it has grown wild for centuries. The plant arrived in cultivation as gardeners recognized the peculiar beauty of its tubular flowers and the hummingbirds they attract. It became popular in the Victorian era for conservatory growing, where its compact habit and long blooming season made it a reliable performer. The common names 'firecracker plant' and 'cigar flower' reflect how gardeners saw those distinctive blooms: one captures the sudden bursts of red color, the other the uncanny resemblance to a rolled cigar complete with ash-white tip.”