Transform your yard into a hummingbird paradise with a large, brightly colored vermillionaire cuphea plant, also known as a firecracker plant.
Hummingbirds Love Vermillionaire Firecracker Plant
Updated on Jan. 26, 2024
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Vermillionaire Firecracker Plant Benefits
Kick off summer (and hummingbird season!) with a bang. Grow a vermillionaire cuphea plant in a container or as part of a border garden. For continuous blooms, allow this heat-loving large firecracker plant to soak up the sun. Cuphea is drought tolerant and will feel right at home in warm climates.
Vermillionaire Cuphea Plant Care and Growing Tips
- Cuphea ‘Vermillionaire’
- Common name: Firecracker plant
- Zones 8 to 11 or annual
- Light needs: Full sun
- Size: 18 to 28 inches tall and 12 to 24 inches wide
- Attracts: Hummingbirds, bees, butterflies
Vermillionaire cuphea, sometimes referred to as a firecracker plant, is a hybrid that prefers the heat of Zones 8 to 11 in the southern United States. But the good news is it can be grown as an annual in northern states. Check out the top 10 annuals that attract hummingbirds.
Enjoy the continuous red-orange flowers that last from spring until the first frost. The dark green lance-shaped leaves help the blooms to really pop in a landscape.
When it comes to maintenance, there’s no deadheading needed—the flowers drop off once spent. You will want to fertilize your vermillionaire cuphea plant regularly.
Psst—we found the best hummingbird plants to grow in shade.
Vermillionaire Plants Attract Hummingbirds
If you want to attract hummingbirds, this vermillionaire plant is a garden must-have. Hummingbirds will frequent the long tubular blooms for a quick hit of nectar.
“Vermillionaire attracts more hummingbirds to my yard than any other flowers I’ve ever grown,” says Birds & Blooms reader Joanne Crawford of Longmont, Colorado.
“Every year I place a big pot of large firecracker plants (Cuphea ‘Vermillionaire’) on my deck,” says reader Janet Doherty of Scarborough, Maine. “Hummingbirds are zipping about just inches from me all summer!”
Next, don’t miss the top 10 salvias to grow for hummingbirds.
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