False Heather (Cuphea)

How to choose false heather

The plants differ mainly in colour. The Mauve False Heather is the familiar form, and the White False Heather gives a cooler look that reads well in shade and at dusk. Mauve Compact Mexican Heather is a tighter grower, which suits a low edge or a small pot. The Aurea False Heather is grown for its golden foliage as much as its flowers and is useful for lifting a dark green border.

False heather typically reaches about half a metre high and a little wider, with flat, layered branches. One colour repeated along a path gives a formal line. A mix of colours is softer and suits a cottage or tropical style planting.

Where false heather works

It is at its strongest in subtropical and tropical gardens, where it flowers nearly all year, and it grows well in warm temperate areas with flowering from spring to autumn. Give it full sun or part shade. In the hottest districts light afternoon shade keeps the foliage a deeper green.

False heather is frost tender. A light frost burns the tips and a hard one can kill the plant, so in cool temperate climates grow it in a pot that can be moved under cover for winter, or treat it as a warm season plant. Use it to edge paths and garden beds, in front of taller shrubs, around the base of palms and in mixed containers. It combines easily with our tropical plants and other plants for subtropical climates, and it is a tidy choice among plants for pots.

One caution: false heather self seeds readily in warm, moist gardens. Pull out stray seedlings as they appear, and keep it away from bushland and creek lines.

Planting and spacing

Plant in spring, or at any time in frost free areas if you can water. It likes moist, well drained soil improved with compost, and it struggles in waterlogged ground. For a continuous low border, space plants 30 to 40 centimetres apart. As single specimens allow 60 centimetres. Mulch after planting to keep the shallow roots cool, and keep the mulch clear of the stems.

Care basics

Water regularly through the first summer. Established plants cope with short dry spells but look and flower better with steady moisture, and they wilt quickly in a small pot. Feed in spring and again in midsummer with a balanced slow release fertiliser.

Trim lightly two or three times a year to keep the plant dense, taking off only the soft tip growth. It will reshoot if cut harder in spring, but frequent light clipping gives a neater result than an occasional hard prune. After frost damage, wait until spring before cutting back, then remove the burnt growth to just above live shoots. Plants can become woody and open after several years, and are simple to replace.

Common questions

Is false heather a true heather?

No. True heathers are Calluna and Erica, cool climate plants for acid soil. False heather is a Cuphea from Mexico and Central America that only resembles them in its fine foliage.

How big does false heather grow?

About half a metre high and 60 to 90 centimetres wide, less in a pot or with regular trimming.

Does false heather tolerate frost?

Only the lightest. In frosty districts grow it in a pot and move it under cover for winter.

Does false heather attract bees?

Yes. The small flowers are visited by bees and other small pollinators through much of the year.