Bat-faced cuphea is a plant that rewards close attention. The individual flowers are only about an inch long, but their structure — a tubular hairy purple calyx topped by two upward-facing red petals — is a miniature portrait that stops gardeners in their tracks once they see it. Native to Mexico and a member of the loosestrife family, it blooms in clusters from late spring until frost, producing a continuous display that draws hummingbirds reliably. In its native habitat it can reach two to three feet; grown as an annual in cooler climates it typically stays between twelve and eighteen inches, spreading about as wide, a scale that suits border edges and container arrangements.

Full sun and well-drained moist soil produce the most flowers, though it tolerates summer heat and part shade without sulking. It is sensitive to cold and should be brought indoors before temperatures drop, where it will hold through winter in a sunny spot with reduced watering. Cutting it back when it grows leggy is a simple intervention that pays off in denser, more floriferous regrowth. Numerous cultivars are available, some with different calyx colorings, though none lose that distinctive bat-face character.