Bat face cuphea question

Question

I have 3 bat face cupheas and they are growing and flowering beautifully. However, they are getting very long and stringy looking. I hate to trim them back because all the flowers are on the ends, but I would like them to get fuller and bushier. What is the best way to do this? Thanks.

Answer 1

This normally happens because the plant is not getting enough light. I would recommend seeing if you can get more light to it, perhaps by thinning any nearby trees that may be shading it.

This plant also benefits from severe pruning each year. You may try giving it a good pruning (1/2 of the plant or even more) in very early spring. This will also help prevent legginess.