Aurea False Heather

Aurea False Heather (Cuphea hyssopifolia 'Aurea') is a low golden leaved shrub that barely stops flowering. It mounds to about 50cm tall and 60cm wide, covered in tiny purple and pink blooms set against lime gold foliage. For a soft edging plant in a warm garden, little else at that height works this hard.

Why you'll love it

• Gold foliage that carries the year. The lime gold leaves hold the planting together between flushes, which is where the plain green form cannot compete.
• Flowers over a very long season. Small purple and pink blooms come in waves through the warm months and keep going in frost free gardens.
• Neat without being clipped. It mounds naturally, so one light shear twice a year is enough to keep it tight rather than woody.
• Steady food for bees and butterflies. Constant small flowers make it a reliable nectar plant at ground level.

Where it works best

Borders and edging. Plant 40cm apart for a continuous low border along a path or bed edge. The gold foliage keeps that line legible between flushes.

Mass planting. The same 40cm spacing across a wider area gives a low carpet of colour that asks for nothing but an annual trim.

Pots and rockeries. It suits a bowl or trough with the foliage spilling slightly over the rim, and it is happy in the heat and sharp drainage of a rockery.

Growing Aurea False Heather in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun keeps the foliage gold and the flowering heavy; in shade it greens up and opens out. This is a plant for tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens. It takes light frost only, so colder districts should grow it in a pot that can move under cover.

Soil. Free draining is the only real requirement. Avoid ground that stays soggy through winter, and keep mulch clear of the crown.

Water and feed. Water twice a week through the first summer, after which it is genuinely drought tolerant. A slow release fertiliser in early spring covers the year.

Pruning. Shear lightly after the heaviest flushes, taking no more than a third of the growth. Cutting back into bare old wood leaves holes that are slow to close.

What to expect when it arrives

It is sold as tube stock and in packs of ten 140mm plants. Tube stock is the economical way to plant a long border and fills out within a season. The 140mm plants arrive already bushy and give a finished edge sooner.

Small tough plants like this travel well. Water them in on the day they arrive, then expect them to touch at 40cm spacing within two to three months of warm weather. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Read our guide to choosing edging plants.
• Browse companions in rockery plants.
• Build a nectar garden with more bee and butterfly plants.
• Compare other easy options in low maintenance shrubs.

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a border?

Forty centimetres apart in a single row. That is close enough for the mounds to meet into an unbroken line without crowding each other into bare stems.

Does it really flower all year?

In tropical and subtropical gardens it comes close, with only brief gaps. In warm temperate gardens it pauses through the coldest weeks and starts again as the soil warms.

Will frost kill it?

Light frost burns the tips rather than killing the plant, and a spring trim clears the damage. Heavy or repeated frost is another matter, and those gardens are better off potting it.

Can I grow it in a pot?

Yes, and it is a good filler for a mixed pot. Use 300mm or wider with a free draining mix, feed in spring, and refresh the mix every second year.