Cigar Plant

Cigar Plant (Cuphea ignea)

Cigar Flower, Firecracker Plant

Full sun, medium moisture, well-drained soil; tolerates heat and drought once established; pH 6.0–7.0.

1–2 feet tall and 1–2 feet wide; blooms continuously from late spring through frost with tubular red-orange flowers tipped black and white; does not set seed reliably in Zone 6b — treated as an annual.

Propagation: stem cuttings root readily under mist in 2–3 weeks; new plants are typically purchased as transplants in spring.

Native region: Not native to Tennessee; ornamental introduction from Mexico and Central America.

In Middle Tennessee, C. ignea is grown as a frost-tender annual, performing best during the hot months of June through September when hummingbirds and sphinx moths work the tubular flowers continuously. The compact mounding habit makes it useful in container plantings and front borders where its late-season bloom fills in after spring annuals decline. Unlike many tender tropicals, it tolerates Middle Tennessee's summer humidity without significant fungal issues. Pinching back new growth in early June produces a denser, more floriferous plant. First frost at 32°F kills stems to the ground — no overwintering is practical in Zone 6b without a heated greenhouse.