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If you are looking for a low massing plant with purple/maroon fall color this is the plant. Waxweed, Cuphea viscosissima, has tiny purple flowers starting in July but is still blooming in October when the leaves start to turn red. Fall color continues until frost. It makes a great edge planting along paths and fences. I like to plant it with a few marigolds for a nice fall display.
Waxweed is popular with the pollinators. The flowers are small but the entire plant is sticky which attracts many small insects. The flower is tubular so hummingbirds will also visit the blooms. The stickiness can sometimes be a nuisance when gardening. After weeding in the waxweed bed I often find pieces of the plant stuck to my legs and arms.
Plants grow to be about 2 ft tall and wide. Since they grow from seed each year I always need to transplant some out of the paths and back into the garden. They are easy to pull out if there are too many plants. Waxweed requires full sun but is very tolerant of a variety of moisture conditions.
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Since it is an annual you will need to collect seeds if you want to introduce it to new areas. Seed ripen throughout the bloom period and fall to the ground. Harvesting seeds can be a sticky task. I have found the easiest way is to put a tray under the plant and gently shake it. Also, at the end of the season I pull all the plants out by the roots and beat them into an empty trash can to collect any remaining seeds before throwing the plants into the compost. Seeds can be spread immediately in the new planting bed. Plants can also be grown in the greenhouse but in my experience they are more robust if sown directly.
This native annual is hard to come by at the garden store. The best way to get it is to borrow some seeds from a friend.
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