Cuphea hyssopifolia (Mexican heather)
Native to Mexico and Central America, Cuphea hyssopifolia, commonly called Mexican heather, is a small evergreen subshrub with densely branching stems. It typically forms a rounded plant about two feet tall and wide. The narrow, glossy leaves grow in opposite pairs and have fine hairs on their undersides. Small flowers arise singly in the leaf axils, each with six petals and a short floral tube. Flowers are usually purple, with pink and white forms grown in gardens. Low branches can root where they touch the ground. The species has received the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit. Photographed in MedellĂn, Colombia.
