White False Heather

White False Heather (Cuphea hyssopifolia 'White') is a small plant that works hard for its space. It forms a soft mound about 50cm tall and wide, covered in tiny deep green leaves and small white flowers that keep coming almost all year in warm climates. For edging a path, filling a pot or massing along a border, few plants offer this much flower for this little effort.

Why you'll love it

• Flowers nearly year round. In tropical and subtropical gardens it is rarely without bloom, and in warm temperate areas it flowers from spring until the cold arrives.
• Naturally neat. The fine foliage forms a dense dome that holds its shape with only a light trim now and then.
• Fast to fill. Plants knit together within a season at 40cm spacing, so a new border reads as finished quickly.
• Takes heat, humidity and dry spells. Summer in the subtropics does not slow it, and established plants forgive a missed watering.
• Brings in the pollinators. The little flowers are worked constantly by bees and butterflies.

Where it works best

Borders and edging. Plant 40cm apart for a continuous low border along a path or garden bed. It gives the clipped look of a miniature hedge without the clipping.

Mass planting and groundcover. At the same 40cm spacing it covers open ground in soft drifts, suppressing weeds once the canopy closes.

Pots and poolside. It stays compact in a container, sheds very little, and handles the reflected heat around a pool better than most fine leaved plants.

Growing white false heather in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun brings the heaviest flowering, though it accepts a few hours of light shade. It is at its best in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens. It tolerates light frost only, so in colder districts treat it as a plant for pots that can shift under cover for winter.

Soil. Any reasonable garden soil with drainage suits it. Work compost through sandy beds to hold moisture, and avoid spots that stay wet through winter.

Water and feed. Water two or three times a week for the first month, then weekly through the first summer. Established plants are surprisingly drought tolerant. A controlled release fertiliser in spring keeps the foliage dark and the flowers coming.

Pruning. Shear lightly after the main spring flush and again in late summer if it looks shaggy. Avoid cutting into old bare wood; little and often keeps the mound dense.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell it as single tubes, a 140mm pack of 10 and a 200mm pack of 6. Tubes are the economical way to plant a long border and reach full size within their first year, while the 140mm and 200mm packs bring the finished look forward by a season. Small plants like these travel well and bounce back from transit within days.

Orders are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Prefer a touch of colour? See Mauve False Heather, the lilac flowered form.
• Browse more flowering plants for companions.
• Compare options in plants for poolside gardens.

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a border?

Set plants 40cm apart for a continuous border. They touch within a season and form a solid ribbon of foliage and flower by the end of the first year.

Will it survive frost?

Light frost marks the foliage but plants usually recover. Hard or repeated frost kills it, so in cold districts grow it in pots and move it somewhere sheltered for winter.

How often does it need trimming?

Once or twice a year is plenty. A light all over shear after the spring flush keeps the mound tight, and it flowers again on the fresh growth within weeks.

Does it grow well around pools?

Yes. It handles reflected heat, the odd splash and the exposed feel of most pool surrounds, and its fine leaves shed far less litter into the water than larger shrubs do.