Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Tuesday - August 29, 2006
From: Ida Grove, IA
Region: Midwest
Topic: Non-Natives
Title: Wintering over a Cuphea ignea in Iowa Zones 4-5
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
I have a Cigar Plant, or a cuphea. I live in Iowa and need to know how to take care of this plant. Does this plant die and that's it, or does this plant come back year after year?ANSWER:
Cigar plant (Cuphea ignea) is a tropical plant, native to Mexico and the Caribbean. It can withstand light frosts (USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 8-9) and come back in the spring; but, for Iowa in Zones 4-5, I'm afraid it would be 'goner' left outdoors in the winter. It could, however, be grown in a pot as a houseplant and moved outside in its container during frost-free weather to become part of your landscaping.
More Non-Natives Questions
Problems with non-native navel orange
October 03, 2008 - Hello Green Guru,
Question: Why hasn't Navel Orange Tree grown or sprouted new branches? It's 3 years old and is about 5 feet tall and has remained this size. It hasn't grown at all. It only ha...
view the full question and answer
Micro clover for groundcover
March 10, 2012 - Hi there! I am interested in overseeding my lawn with a micro clover mix.. however, I cannot find any information on the web about how it might act here in Central Texas. Do you have any experience wi...
view the full question and answer
Non-native astilbe resemblance to non-native poisonous castor bean from Tomslake BC
May 21, 2014 - I have a plant that looks like a castor bean but it has flowers like a Younique Silvery Pink Astilbe. Need to id because castor bean is poisonous. This plant grows up to 5 feet in height.
Thank you !
view the full question and answer
Do non-native globe willows have a taproot from Midland TX
April 06, 2012 - Do globe willows have a tap root?
view the full question and answer
Failure to bloom of non-native crepe myrtle
March 26, 2009 - I have a white crepe myrtle that never bloomed last year..my pink ones were beautiful. What can I fertilize with to promote blooming for the white one? And, yes, it is in the sun!
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |