Mauve Compact Mexican Heather

Mauve Compact Mexican Heather (Cuphea hyssopifolia 'Mauve Compact') is a low, tidy plant that flowers for most of the year. It stays around 20cm tall and spreads about 45cm, its fine leaves layered in a fountain shape and dotted with tiny pink-purple flowers. It is made for stepover hedges, borders and pots in frost-free gardens.

Why you'll love it

• Flowers most of the year. Tiny pink-purple flowers keep coming through the seasons, giving low, effortless colour.
• Stays low on its own. At around 20cm it needs little shaping, which keeps the pruning to a minimum.
• Good for pollinators. The flowers attract beneficial pollinators to the garden.
• Versatile. Use it for stepover hedges, borders, rockeries, mass underplanting, pots and baskets.
• Forgiving about soil. It prefers free-draining soil rich in organic matter but copes with poor, dry soils.

Where it works best

Stepover hedges and borders. Plant 30cm apart in a row to make a low, flowering edge along a path, bed or driveway. At that spacing the layered mounds merge into a continuous line.

Mass underplanting. It carpets the ground beneath taller shrubs, bringing a long season of colour to the base of a planting.

Pots, baskets and rockeries. Compact enough for a patio pot or hanging basket, and neat when tucked among rocks.

Growing Mauve Compact Mexican Heather in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to part shade. It is a frost-free plant, so it suits tropical, subtropical and frost-free warm temperate gardens. Where frost is likely, grow it in a pot and keep it under cover through winter.

Soil. Free-draining soil rich in organic matter gives the best results, though it is forgiving of poor, dry soils.

Water and feed. Mulch and water well. Fertilise with a slow release fertiliser twice a year.

Pruning. Prune to encourage new growth and maintain shape. This variety stays so low that it often needs very little.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Mauve Compact Mexican Heather as tube stock, a young plant in an 80mm deep tube that establishes quickly. Tubes are the economical way to plant a long stepover hedge or cover a bed. Expect a small, leafy plant on arrival that fills out and starts flowering as the weather warms. Plants travel upright in their tubes and settle quickly once watered in.

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

• More groundcover plants for Australian gardens
• Plants that thrive in pots
• Bee and butterfly friendly plants
• Low hedge plants under 1 metre

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a stepover hedge?

Plant 30cm apart in a single row. The layered mounds merge into a continuous low line.

Does it need pruning?

Very little. This is a compact form, so a light trim to maintain shape and encourage new growth is usually enough.

Will frost damage it?

Yes. It suits frost-free gardens. In frosty areas, grow it in a pot and keep it under cover in winter.