Cuphea epilobiifolia
Cuphea epilobiifolia
Safety & Hazards
None known
Cultivation Details
Species in this genus generally prefer a position in full sun, but are tolerant of partial shade. They generally grow best in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils[1]. The seed of Cuphea species is generally a good source of medium length fatty acids, which have a range of industrial and cosmetic applications and can also be used in foods[2]. Several species are being trialled as seed oil crops in temperate zone countries, though they are unlikely to become a commercial crop in the tropics simply because it is so much easier to grow oil crops such as palm oil (Elaeis species) and coconut (Cocos nucifera).
Propagation
Seed - can be sown in situ[3]. Germination usually takes a few weeks because of the hard seed coat. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Cuphea+epilobiifolia>
Pollinators
Insects, Humming birds
References
- [1]KemperCentreForHomeGardeningPlantFinder — Missouri Botanical Garden · http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/ ↩︎Basic cultivation details, plant uses, habitat etc for several thousand species of plants, mainly from the temperate zone.
- [2]The National Non-Food Crops Centre Crop Database — http://www.nnfcc.co.uk/crops/pd.cfm ↩︎An excellent on-line information source, with information on over 100 species (as of 2006) of plants being investigated as bio-crops.
- [3]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
- [4]A comprehensive review of Cuphea (Lythraceae) — Mohamed R Elgindi; Nahla Ayoub; Rola Milad and Reham Hassan · 2011 · ISBN 0975-8585 ↩︎Gives information on the traditional medicinal uses of various cuphea species, and also a review of modern research and the compounds the plants contain.