Jocelyn’s Pink False Heather

Jocelyn's Pink false heather (Cuphea hyssopifolia 'Jocelyn's Pink') is a low, fine leafed shrub that flowers almost continuously in a warm garden. It grows to about 50cm tall and 60cm wide, covered in small pink flowers that bees and butterflies work through all season. It shears beautifully, so the same plant reads as either a soft mound or a clipped formal edge.

Why you'll love it

• Flowers almost year round. In tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens the pink flowering barely stops, which very few low shrubs manage.
• It takes a clip. The fine dense foliage responds to shearing, so one plant makes a formal 30cm edge or an informal 50cm mound.
• Alive with pollinators. Bees and butterflies work the flowers constantly, and small birds follow them in.
• Tough once settled. Heat tolerant, drought tolerant and comfortable with humidity, so it holds up through a hot summer unattended.

Where it works best

Borders and edging. Plant 40cm apart for a low dense border. At that spacing the plants meet within a season and the line stays continuous even when clipped hard.

Low hedging. The same 40cm spacing gives a formal edge to a path or a garden room, held at 30cm to 40cm with a light shear two or three times a year.

Mass planting and pots. Use it in drifts at roughly six plants per square metre, or singly in 300mm pots for a balcony that needs colour rather than foliage.

Growing Jocelyn's Pink false heather in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the heaviest flowering and the tightest habit; part shade works but the plant opens up and flowers less. It suits tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens. It is frost tender, so in cold districts grow it in pots that can shift under cover.

Soil. Free draining soil of any reasonable type, with compost worked through beforehand. It dislikes waterlogging more than dry ground. Mulch 50mm deep, clear of the stems.

Water and feed. Water twice a week through the first summer while the roots establish, then only through dry spells. A controlled release fertiliser in early spring and again in midsummer keeps the flowering dense.

Pruning. Shear lightly two or three times a year to hold the shape and push new flowering growth. If a plant goes woody and open at the base, cut it back by a third in early spring and it will refurnish.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in two sizes: tube stock and 140mm pots in packs of ten. Tubes are young single plants and the value choice for a long border, taking a season to fill out. The 140mm plants are already bushy and often carrying flower, so a border planted from them closes over within a few months in warm weather.

The fine foliage can look flat after transit; a good soak and a week in position sorts that out. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Choosing the right edging plants
• Browse bee and butterfly attracting plants
• Compare plants for mass planting
• Low growing plant ideas for borders

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a border?

Forty centimetres apart in a single row, or about six plants per square metre for a mass planting. Closer spacing does not close the line faster and makes watering harder.

Can I clip it into a formal edge?

Yes, it is one of the better low shrubs for shearing. Two or three light clips a year hold it at 30cm to 40cm, and the fine foliage means cut ends do not show.

Will it survive frost?

It is frost tender, so it belongs in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens. In frosty districts grow it in pots you can move under cover, and accept it may behave as a warm season plant.