Cigar flower vs False heather

Cuphea ignea compared with Cuphea hyssopifolia

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cigar flower	False heather
Kingdom same	Plantae (растения)	Plantae (растения)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (магнолиофиты)	Magnoliophyta (магнолиофиты)
Class same	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order same	Myrtales (миртоцветные)	Myrtales (миртоцветные)
Family same	Lythraceae	Lythraceae
Genus same	Cuphea	Cuphea
Species	Cuphea ignea	Cuphea hyssopifolia

Evolutionary Relationship

Cigar flower and False heather share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Cuphea.

Conservation Status

Cigar flower

NE — Not Evaluated

False heather

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cigar flower	False heather
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cigar flower

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Congo (DRC), South Africa), Asia (India, Indonesia, Taiwan), Europe (Sweden), North America (United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), and South America (Brazil, Colombia).

False heather

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Mauritius), Asia (India, Taiwan), North America (5 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia, Marshall Islands, Micronesia), and South America (Brazil, Colombia).

Cigar flower

Cigar flower (Cuphea ignea) is a small, shrubby plant in the family Lythraceae, native to Mexico and the Caribbean islands, particularly Jamaica. It is widely cultivated as an ornamental garden plant in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. The plant produces distinctive tubular flowers in brilliant orange-red with a dark tip ringed in white and purple, giving the appearance of a glowing cigar—hence its common name. The flowers are highly attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies, making cigar flower a popular addition to wildlife gardens and containers. It grows as a compact perennial subshrub, typically reaching 30–60 centimeters in height, and flowers prolifically throughout the growing season. In temperate regions it is usually grown as an annual or overwintered indoors. Cuphea ignea prefers well-drained soils with full sun to partial shade. The species is not formally assessed by the IUCN. In its native Mexican and Caribbean range, it grows in open rocky slopes, forest margins, and disturbed habitats. The genus Cuphea comprises hundreds of species and is under investigation for the seed oil content of some members, which contains medium-chain fatty acids of potential industrial interest. Cigar flower has naturalized in parts of Florida and other warm regions outside its native range.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 6 countries:

🇦🇺 Australia 🇧🇷 Brazil 🇨🇴 Colombia 🇮🇳 India 🇹🇼 Taiwan 🇺🇸 United States