Bat-Face Cuphea (Cuphea llavea): Whimsical Flowers for Pollinators

Bat-face cuphea (Cuphea llavea), also called St. Peter's plant, tiny mice, or bunny ears, is a charming, low-growing perennial with unique flowers: a purple tubular calyx with two bright red, ear-like petals that resemble a bat's face (or mouse ears). It blooms nonstop from spring to frost.

Habit

Forms a mounding, spreading plant 12–18 inches tall and 2–3 feet wide. The small, lance-shaped leaves are bright green. Hummingbirds and butterflies adore the nectar-rich flowers.

Culture

Full sun to part shade; well-drained soil. Heat- and drought-tolerant once established. Pinch to encourage bushiness. Perennial in zones 9–11; grown as an annual elsewhere. Excellent in containers, borders, and rock gardens.

Taxonomy

• Family: Lythraceae
• Genus: Cuphea
• Species: llavea
• Synonyms: Cuphea barbigera, Parsonia llavea