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Vermillionaire® Large Firecracker Plant Cuphea hybrid

Exposure
  • Sun
Flower Season
  • Spring
  • Summer
Mature Size
2'4" 2' 71cm 61cm
Height: 18" - 2'4"
Spread: 12" - 2'
Height: 46cm - 71cm
Spread: 30cm - 61cm
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  • Details

    18 - 28 Inches
    12 - 18 Inches
    12 - 24 Inches
    46cm - 71cm
    30cm - 46cm
    30cm - 61cm

    Features

    Abundant yellow orange flowers all season long; loves the heat and loved by hummingbirds

    Award Winner
    Continuous Bloom or Rebloomer
    Long Blooming
    Heat Tolerant
    Deadheading Not Necessary
    Drought Tolerant
    Attracts: 
    Hummingbirds

    Characteristics

    Plant Type: 
    Annual
    Height Category: 
    Medium
    Garden Height: 
    18 - 28 Inches 46cm - 71cm
    Spacing: 
    12 - 18 Inches 30cm - 46cm
    Spread: 
    12 - 24 Inches 30cm - 61cm
    Flower Colors: 
    Orange
    Flower Colors: 
    Red
    Flower Colors: 
    Yellow
    Flower Shade: 
    orange with red and yellow highlights
    Foliage Colors: 
    Green
    Foliage Shade: 
    Green
    Habit: 
    Mounded
    Container Role: 
    Filler

    Plant Needs

    Light Requirement: 
    Sun

    The optimum amount of sun or shade each plant needs to thrive: Full Sun (6+ hours), Part Sun (4-6 hours), Full Shade (up to 4 hours).

    Maintenance Category: 
    Easy
    Bloom Time: 
    Planting To Frost
    Hardiness Zones: 
    8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b
    Water Category: 
    Average
    Soil Fertility Requirement: 
    Average Soil
    Uses: 
    Border Plant
    Uses: 
    Container
    Uses: 
    Landscape
    Uses: 
    Mass Planting
    Maintenance Notes: 

    Vermillionaire®, like all Cuphea is a heat lover and will do best in warm gardens with bright light. Always keep this plant in full sun for best flowering and to avoid it stretching in the shade.

    Keep moist throughout the growing season, regular fertilizing will keep it full and constantly flowering. Once established Vermillionaire does not require a lot of water, but water regularly until it has grown a bit.

    This plant is a perennial in USDA zones 8 and higher, but should be considered an annual in colder climates. If you are in a marginally hardy area, an application of light mulch (like pine needles) about 6 inches deep and a foot wide. When the threat of frost is past, remove the layer of mulch. The plant should not be cut back in the winter.  If it has dead plant material or is leggy in spring, you can trim it back once new growth begins.

    Great hummingbird attractor! They love this plant, one of their preferred plants in most gardens.

  • 53 Reviews

    5
    42
    4
    7
    3
    3
    2
    1
    1
    Browse reviews from people who have grown this plant.
    • Excellent plant here in Zone 8b (Portland, OR). First grow season with this one; it came in a tiny 1 pint container, maybe 9" tall. Planted it with a similarly-sized lavender in a 20gal plastic pot, 50% sun/shade through the day. Gorgeous! After settling into the pot it's really taken off and flowered solid since April (it's October now) and still looks fabulous at almost 3 feet wide and 18" tall. With many hundreds of little red flowers, the bees and hummingbirds are still attracted to it. I can't wait to see how this overwinters here. Going to use this as a landscape border plant in a few beds next year as this has been fabulous!

      Dan N
      , Oregon
      , United States
      , 6 weeks ago
    • I grow Cuphea Vermillionaire every year as it is one of my favorite summer annuals. The keys to growing this one in a pot/container is to get a soil that is well draining of excess water but also holds on to some moisture and let the soil dry out fairly well and then give it a good, deep drink of water... dry out, deep drink, dry out, deep drink, etc. Conditions (ex. sunlight, temperature, wind, humidity, soil makeup, etc.) dictate how long it will take for the soil to dry so keep on eye on it and you'll get the hang of it. I rarely water the ones in the ground as they are well mulched and get plenty of rain in my 5b garden. I give the ones in containers a very, very diluted amount of water soluble fertilizer about once a month. This plant does not want much fertilizer and giving it too much will actually do more harm than good. Get the watering right and this plant will be a hummingbird magnet!

      Jordan
      , Nebraska
      , United States
      , 13 weeks ago
    • These get morning and dappled sun. Full sun for about 3 to 4 hrs max in the hottest part of the day and they flourish. I'm now in a zone 7B from the 7A so it's getting warmer. They have firm stems so they don't ever flop over regardless of the wind or rain. I also plant them in 10 and 15gal (for 2 plants) fabric grow bags so they do dry out faster but keeping a dish under them really makes a difference. I can also move them easily if need be. I use Neptunes fertilizer and Espoma Biotone when needed and they love it. If I were to put them in the full sun in Virginia, it'll bake them to crispy critters so don't feel like you must put them where it's recommended because it all depends on where you live. The first ones I ever bought I did that and they just didn't do as well and died. They would probably do better with in ground planting but I have too many hungry under ground critters. I pair these with several PW Salvias and the hummers, bees and butterflies just love them all. My husband really loves to watch the hummers feed and loves that they are called Cigar flowers given that he's a cigar smoker. I these survive me, they'll survive anybody in almost any conditions. I tried without success to over winter but I know people who have. I didn't have the right amount of heat so the cold killed them. I hope my review helps others. Just to give how well they do without giving any details doesn't help me or other growers so if you do plant these and want to give a review, please share your entire experience. I almost gave up on ever getting PW because I just wasn't having any success until i did a deeper dive into others with success. . BTW, if you get ants put down Terro ant baits. I get the indoor clear tray ones and put a quart size PW container over to keep them dry. I tape up the container holes then cut 4 ant size holes around the rim and set it on an upside down terra cotta saucer then place the container over top of bait. They take it back to the nest and kills them. I weigh it down with a rock. Good luck and enjoy these wonderful plants and all they attract

      Henrysmom
      , Virginia
      , United States
      , 30 weeks ago
    • Vermillionaire is my most trusted plant for attracting hummingbirds. I'm in zone 5 so it's an annual for me but I'm happy to buy every year as it truly is a proven winner!

      Marie Smith
      , Indiana
      , United States
      , 31 weeks ago
    • Abundant flowers kept coming until frost, easy to care for, and the hummingbirds loved it. Doesn’t overwinter in my yard, but I will definitely get more this spring.

      Deb
      , Rhode Island
      , United States
      , 38 weeks ago
    • I planted this fantastic plant for the first time last year. It was planted in a container underneath my hummingbird feeder. The hummingbirds enjoyed it even more than the feeder. This year I plan to grow an entire garden of these beauties. They are simple to grow and love it in my southern exposure garden. I recommend this plant for anyone looking to attract hummingbirds.

      Laura kesler
      , Illinois
      , United States
      , 38 weeks ago
    • Absolutely love this plant and so do the hummingbirds. Alone or along side of blue salvia, it's always exciting watching them feed

      Denise
      , Wisconsin
      , United States
      , 43 weeks ago
    • I grew this in a window box. Did well in spring but wilted quickly with summer. Not sure if it was drought or heat that did the plant in. Was beautiful for the short time it was blooming

      Windy K
      , Alabama
      , United States
      , 1 year ago
    • How can I reap seeds from the plant. I'd like to take them from my plant to replant

      Deb L
      , Delaware
      , United States
      , 1 year ago
    • This plant is amazing. The bumblebees absolutely love this plant.

      Timothy Sullivan
      , New York
      , United States
      , 1 year ago
  • 13 Awards

    Award Year Award Plant Trial
    2022 Top Performer - Beds, Best of Breed - Beds North Carolina State, JC Raulston Arboretum
    2022 Top Performer, A Consumer Top 10 University of Florida - Fort Lauderdale
    2022 Top Performer Mississippi State University - Poplarville
    2022 Perfect Score University of Tennessee - Knoxville
    2021 Top Performer - Perennial Mississippi State University - Crystal Springs
    2020 Top Performer University of Georgia
    2020 Top 12 Performer University of Florida - Fort Lauderdale
    2020 Top Performer Biltmore Estate
    2020 Top Performer Mississippi State University - Crystal Springs
    2020 Top 10 - Beds North Carolina State, JC Raulston Arboretum
  • 12 Recipes

  • 1 Video

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