How to Plant, Grow, and Care For ‘Vermillionaire®’ Cuphea

Cuphea is called “firecracker plant” for good reason: it lights up summer with nonstop flares of red-orange blooms with yellow and white tips. ‘Vermillionaire’ is an award-winning hybrid with loads of tubular flowers along compact stems. The nectar-rich trumpets are a favorite of hummingbirds and other pollinators, and the easy-care variety blooms until frost without deadheading.

Cuphea ‘Vermillionaire’ brings a splash of easy color to the warm-season display, whether in the ground or in containers and hanging baskets. Native to tropical America, Cuphea perennializes in zones 8-11 and grows as an annual everywhere else. The heat-loving hybrid ‘Vermillionaire’ thrives in summery conditions like high humidity and is also drought-tolerant once established. 

Eye-catching and compact, ‘Vermillionaire’ Cuphea is versatile across garden scales. Enjoy the buzz of energetic pollinators and the relaxed, mostly hands-off color that Cuphea brings.

What is ‘Vermillionaire®’ Cuphea?

‘Vermillionaire®’ is the marketed name for a compact Cuphea hybrid, C. ‘Cupver,’ with tubular flowers that begin blooming as temperatures warm in spring. The Cuphea genus holds about 200 species and is popular for its ornamental value and pollinator resources. Heat and drought-tolerant, it grows with little maintenance across zones in the summer.

‘Vermillionaire,’ or large firecracker plant, draws hummingbirds and pollinators with its continual supply of blooms. The hybrid is a recipient of many “Top Performer” awards in numerous southeastern trials. Where not hardy, it grows quickly as a lasting annual, and even overwinters indoors in a bright spot.

The dense, fully loaded ‘Vermillionaire’ is a fit for borders, along walkways, and as a container feature. They pair beautifully with other summer-blooming perennials and annuals and offer sprays of hot color. Salvia, lantana, calibrachoa, and native grasses are just a few that shine with Cuphea and mirror its cultural requirements.

Characteristics

‘Vermillionaire’ has a mounding, well-branched form that spreads one to two feet wide, making it easy to tuck into small spaces and pots. The fiery blooms, large for Cuphea, are long tubes, mostly orange with red highlights and yellow and white tips.

The tubes appear in clusters throughout the warm season until temperatures cool in fall. The floriferous fireworks give a spray of showy color. In addition to the tubes are long pistils and stamens that reach beyond the petal flare.

Dark, glossy leaves are narrow and lance-shaped, lining the stems along with the blooms. ‘Vermillionaire®’ stems are self-cleaning and don’t need deadheading for continual flowering. 

Native Area

C. ‘Cupver’ is of garden origin, bred for its dense blooms, extended flowering, good structure, and strong landscape performance. Its parentage is native to tropical America, including Mexico, Central America, and Jamaica.

With hardiness across USDA zones 8 through 11, the perennials bear good heat tolerance and adapt to various soil types. They’re frost-sensitive and perform as fast-growing annuals in cool climates.

Planting

Install ‘Vermillonaire®’ as soon as the soil warms in spring and after the final frost. When planting, space them at least one foot apart, and up to three, to allow room to spread. A close planting yields a lush look for instant impact. They reach one to two feet wide at maturity, and are larger in their perennial range.

Cuphea makes an all-in-one thriller and filler specimen in container arrangements. In large pots, they complement other specimens with their medium texture, upright stems, and mounding habit. 

In cold climates, they overwinter well in a greenhouse, where the flowering continues under mild conditions. If you have a bright spot indoors that stays near 60°F (16°C), you’ll have them flowering as houseplants.

How to Grow

Large firecracker plants are mostly low-maintenance and tolerate a range of conditions. They benefit from consistent moisture and plenty of sunlight for the best growth and flowering.

Light

‘Vermillionaire’ shows the most vigor in full sun, with six or more hours of sunlight daily. It also tolerates partial shade, especially in southern climates with intense afternoon sun. In too much shade, stems will stretch, become leggy, and have fewer, if any, flowers. Situate the durable tropicals where they’ll receive sun for much of the day.

Water

While ‘Vermillionaire’ is drought-tolerant after a bit of time to establish, it grows and flowers best with regular moisture. Consistent moisture throughout the growing season ensures overall health. While they withstand hot waves and dry spells, flowering slows in these conditions in order to conserve resources. 

A good rule of thumb is to water when the top one to two inches of soil is dry. Cuphea in pots and hanging baskets dry out more quickly than in-ground plantings; check these often during the heat of summer.

They also struggle in overly wet situations. Avoid oversaturated, soggy soils, as they lead to weakness and potential diseases like powdery mildew and root rot.

Soil

Firecracker plants prefer loose, sandy loams with good drainage. They tolerate lesser compositions as long as they’re well-draining—a necessity for health. C. ‘Cupver’ is adaptable to varying soil textures and pH levels, from slightly acidic to neutral to slightly alkaline. 

At planting, topdress with compost, especially in poor soils like clay and sand. The organic matter increases aeration, moisture retention, drainage, and nutrition. 

Temperature and Humidity

The tropicals tolerate heat and humidity and perennialize in climates with mild winters. In zone 8, apply an insulating mulch layer to increase winter protection. A six-inch layer of pine straw or leaf litter around the crown works well. Keep stems intact in fall and winter, cutting back only in spring as new growth emerges. Remove the extra mulch in early spring before new growth appears and as the weather warms.

In cold climates, treat them as warm-season annuals. To overwinter containerized specimens indoors, move them inside to a bright spot in early fall. They’ll enjoy temperatures in the 60s (around 16°C) and reduced watering until spring.

Fertilizing

Fertilizer is an area where ‘Vermillionaire’ Cuphea becomes slightly more high-maintenance. A boost in nutrition promotes those all-season flowers. Opt for a slow-release granular at planting. A balanced formula or one with higher phosphorus (the P in the N-P-K ratio) promotes flowering. 

Slow-release formulas disperse nutrition gradually and last about two months. A regular (not slow-release) granular application works well, too. Apply these monthly during the growing season.

Maintenance

As summer progresses, ‘Vermillionaire’ may get leggy from all that growing and flowering. Pinch or trim stems to restore form and promote new growth.

Propagation

Cuphea propagates best through cuttings. You can use tip cuttings to capture the apex of the stem root and form new plants.

Tip Cuttings

Tip cuttings capture the end and a small section of the stem. Take cuttings anytime during the growing season with fresh, pliable new growth. To take tip cuttings:

• Cut the tip of a stem with healthy leaves and capture a few inches below it, including at least one leaf node.
• Remove the foliage from the bottom of the stem (leaving at least two crown leaves) to insert into potting media. 
• Optional step: moisten the cutting and dip the lower stem in rooting hormone, coating generously. Tap off any excess rooting powder.
• Plant the cutting so that one or more leaf nodes are in at least two inches of moist, well-draining potting mix, sand, perlite, or vermiculite.
• Place the pot or tray in a bright, warm location, avoiding direct sunlight.
• Water as needed, keeping the soil evenly moist.
• When the cutting resists a gentle tug, roots are in place and ready to be repotted.
• Plant the cuttings in four-inch pots, moving them outside in mild conditions. New plants will be tender.

Common Problems

Cuphea doesn’t suffer from many pest or disease problems, but common garden issues may crop up. Sap-sucking insects and fungal pathogens sometimes occur in damp conditions.

Pests

Softbodied, sap sucking insects like aphids, spider mites, and whitefflies may feed on large firecracker plant. They colonize in numbers, often on the undersides of leaves,  and feed on tissues. They prefer soft, new growth, including tender shoots, buds, and blooms. Severe infestations can cause leaves to curl and yellow and stunt growth.

Spray a strong stream of water early in the day to displace the pests from leaves and stems. Natural predators like ladybugs, parasitic wasps, hoverflies, and lacewings provide natural pest control. ‘Vermillionaire’ is a worthwhile selection to add to others for a diversity of blooming plants to attract different insects.

Horticultural soaps and oils like neem control infestations. Follow label directions, as these treatments affect all insects, including pollinators. Time of day is essential in the application.

To prevent pests, water evenly to achieve consistently moist soils. Sap-sucking insects gravitate toward drought-stressed or overwatered specimens over healthy, well-watered ones.

Diseases

Common fungal diseases may occur in overly wet or humid conditions. Good air circulation through proper spacing, along with proper watering, helps prevent problems.

Powdery Mildew

Powdery mildew is one of the most common fungal problems when the pathogen Erysiphe appears as a grayish-white dust on leaves, buds, and stems. Leaves turn yellow, distort, and drop during severe infections.

Treatable with early detection, horticultural oils like neem can address powdery mildew early on. Take care not to overwater or overfertilize, which weakens the specimen and increases susceptibility. Space them for ample airflow, and avoid wetting the leaves unnecessarily. Remove fallen debris that can harbor spores.

Leaf Spot

Leaf spot is another common infection and presents as brown, dead spots. Round and patchy, they increase in size and number and spread across leaves and stems, which blacken. As the dead tissue falls away, leaves become ragged, and stems collapse. The fungus develops in warm conditions and when leaves stay wet from prolonged moisture from rain or overhead watering, and in damp situations with reduced air circulation.

Cut off diseased foliage and remove any leaves that drop to avoid harboring spores. Destroy or discard the impacted parts away from the garden to prevent spread, keeping them out of the compost pile.

Root Rot

Root rot occurs in humid environments and overly wet situations. The pathogen Phytophthora, among others, impacts feeder roots, which become unable to absorb water and nutrients. Signs of root rot include drought-stressed leaves that turn yellow and wilt. 

Check for rot by inspecting stems and roots slightly below the soil line. Rotting roots will be yellow or brown rather than a healthy white. Clip off any brown portions and replant, reducing the watering frequency. If growth doesn’t rebound, remove the specimen and start fresh.

Frequently Asked Questions