Celebratory Cigars, Shared by Cuphea Ignea

Cigars. For me, they call up mental imagery of a proud dad handing them out in the hospital waiting room, newborn on his mind and happy grin on his face. Despite how times have changed, there is still a celebratory connotation to the cigar. Today, the celebratory cigar can be presented in flower form, courtesy of the plant Cuphea ignea.

Cuphea ignea, the Cigar Plant, was actually just given to me, the second time I have been gifted this plant. This time, it was for my birthday. I had initially hoped to pass by the birthday without giving the date or my age a second thought, but this gorgeous mass of tiny red “cigars” with what appeared to be the white and black of the cigars’ lit ends, ash and all, really made me smile, happy I had something to celebrate.

Yes, little old cigars in a fiery color… my Cigar Plant, looking great in a contrasting cobalt blue container, sparked a chuckle. Then, a little later that same day, it actually drew in a pollinator. 

The pollinator was not the Monarch I might have been expecting. Instead, it was a butterfly I had not seen before, the Red Admiral Butterfly. This beautiful pollinator with velvety black wings and body, some dots of white, and a good dose of stunning orange was drawn to the red of Cuphea ignea, my Cigar Plant. The Cuphea ignea had been planted along with Nasturtiums, yet to bloom but likely to open in a nice orange or orange-red. The Red Admiral alighted atop a flat Nasturtium leaf, seeming to admire my fun new gift while I admired her wing patterning.

Now, my red beauty is not the only Cigar Plant around. There are pink Cigar Plants and others that are orange and yellow-orange. And the genus Cuphea is broad, with more than 250 species. This genus brings us smile-prompting plants such as the Bat-faced Cuphea, similar in foliage and growth habit to my Cigar Plant, but with unmistakable bat faces. Bat faces? Bat faces. And oddly, the little faces are quite attractive, in purple and brightest red.

But back to Cuphea ignea: It likes nutrient-rich and moist soil, but as with most plants, the soil should have good drainage. (I should check to be sure that new cobalt container has good drainage.) Cuphea ignea likes periodic feedings with a diluted liquid fertilizer. It can do well in sun or partial shade. And it is very disease- and pest-resistant.

The very petite tubular flowers that cover my Cigar Plant look delicate, like they might fall off the plant at any moment. But the blooms are strong, the plant is strong… no worries here. 

Now, no hard feelings, traditional cigar… but Cuphea ignea is not a plant with green foliage covered in “old stogies”. This plant cleans the air, like all others, really. But by the same token, I should say that the Cigar Plant is not sweet smelling, citrus-fragranced, or anything similar. Its blooms are unscented. But what they lack in fragrance is made up, ten-fold, in color. I mentioned that I have seen a pink Cigar Plant with pink and yellow-tipped blooms, and it is extremely pretty, but my bright red Cigar Plant just announces a celebration with a happy hue… no shame in yelling out “Happy Birthday” or “Congratulations” or “Nice Work on the Garden”! This plant brings the party. 

My birthday falls where it falls… can’t change that. But it is nice that it falls near the Fourth of July, as my new Cuphea ignea plant is just perfect for a celebration filled with fireworks, streamers, and happiness. It is such a nice plant, I wonder why I did not gift it to a second-cousin who just graduated from school. I have another cousin who is expecting a baby, and… well, you get my point… and I hope at some point, you get a Cigar… by way of Cuphea ignea.