Plant Care Library

Brand:  PanAmerican Seed

Description:

Small, freely branching shrub or subshrub with unusual tubular flowers that open to a star shape displaying pink and red petals; grown as an annual in cooler climates; great for use in any kind of combination; very heat tolerant

Ornamental Features

Pink Shimmer Cuphea has pink tubular flowers with red overtones and violet throats along the branches from late spring to early fall, which emerge from distinctive deep purple flower buds, and which are interesting on close inspection. Its small oval leaves remain green in color throughout the year.

Landscape Attributes

Pink Shimmer Cuphea is an open multi-stemmed annual with a mounded form. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting bees and butterflies to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Pink Shimmer Cuphea is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Pink Shimmer Cuphea will grow to be about 16 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 16 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 12 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. Although it's not a true annual, this plant can be expected to behave as an annual in our climate if left outdoors over the winter, usually needing replacement the following year. As such, gardeners should take into consideration that it will perform differently than it would in its native habitat.

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.

Pink Shimmer Cuphea is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers against which the thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.