This isn't going to help you much because I have lots of Mexican Heather and it grows like a weed :) but I have had trouble with various plant varieties that are supposed to be soooo easy to grow.........one plant that I have given up on is verbena. Tried it many times; it will not grow in my yard! Another one is butterfly weed (the "weeds" that I didn't plant grow just fine). I have also had trouble with lantana, another super easy plant! What the heck? All my roses look beautiful!

Without knowing all your cultural practices, it would be difficult to say why you are having trouble with the heather - maybe too much or too little water.

Lynn

I have grown MH before and it seemed to do best in lots of sun, moderate water, but it didn't like the reflected sun and high heat off walls. It didn't care for even partial shade - it would pout, sit there and stare back at me. I've decided I don't like it very much.

I had to cut all of mine back as I didn't water last year and they did die back and were ugly. After cutting them back they took a long time before blooming in fact they have just stared and that was way back before spring. But they do look better this year with the drought I had to water so the rest of my plants lived. If you have bare ground they will re-seed themselves. I just fill in with what ever I want and hope to see them last, if not then I plant something else and see how they work. That is one reason I like seeds because of the cost. It is about time to plant seeds with the weather about to cool down and before it gets too cold. I need to get more herbs in the ground.

Hmmm, I water them about the same as I do the others when first planted. Daily initially, cutting back to a few times per week, then down to once a week (altho with the mexican heather it never survived long enough for that). I've had it in direct, full sun, partial shade, more shade.....all die.

re: lantana - I had it growing like wild, but then it got a fungus and that was the end of that. Looked great for a year though. Verbena I have in a large pot. Was great, started looking sickly for awhile, then perked up again. No idea why.

Oh well, I should just give up on the heather.

It may be your watering. They don't like to be overwatered, don't like it a tall, and every day watering, even when getting it established, is too much. Even in this heat, my watering schedule for newly planted things has been every other day watering for things in sun and every three days or so for things in shade. Once temps cool off, twice a week for getting things established should be plenty.

Your soil may be different from mine, so you may need to water more often, but I kind of doubt it. Try planting it again, but this time stick your finger down in the dirt next to it, all the way to your palm, and don't water until the soil is dry one entire finger-length down. Do this up against the rootball and a few inches out from that. (If you're planting four inch size plants, you'll want to water when the soil is dry about halfway down your finger. Larger ~ go with the above advice.)

BTW, that last paragraph is for getting it established. Once established, it's really pretty drought tolerant so won't need much at all ~ about like most salvias and lantanas.