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California Fuchsia
Epilobium canum
  
About California Fuchsia (Epilobium canum) 97 Nurseries Carry This Plant California Fuchsia (Epilobium canum) is a beautiful species of willowherb, native to the California foothills and coastal areas. It is a perennial plant, notable for the profusion of bright scarlet flowers in summer and autumn --- it's frequently the only native California plant in an area flowering at the height of summer. They tend to die back and go dormant in the winter.

Other common names include California Fuchsia (from the resemblance of the flowers to those of Fuchsias), Hummingbird Flower, and Hummingbird Trumpet (as the flowers are very attractive to hummingbirds).

California Fuchsia is often found by seasonal creeks, seeps and spring, particularly in the drier southern part of its range.

California Fuchsia is easy to grow. It does best and will flower most profusely in full sun. In the wetter, northern part of its range or near the coast, this plant will typically require no supplemental water after established. In the drier, hotter, inland southern areas, it will often die without summer water unless planted close to an irrigated or other wet area. You can water it 1x/month without much danger.

Plants tend to get straggly after flowering by late fall or early winter. Best to cut it back to the ground as soon as the flowers are spent, and it will come back back lush and healthy in the spring. Otherwise, it will look straggly and unhealthy the next year and is more likely to die.

This plant will readily self-seed, so once you get this species established, it will usually start springing up around your garden. It also spreads by rhizomes. There's probably no better California native plant for attracting hummingbirds.

This plant is on several fire-resistant plant lists, including FireSafe Marin and County of San Diego.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Perennial herb

Size
Size
0.25 - 1.5 ft tall
2 - 3 ft wide

Form
Form
Spreading

Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Fast

Dormancy
Dormancy
Winter Semi-Deciduous

Fragrance
Fragrance
None

Flower Color
Flower Color
Red

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Summer, Fall

Wildlife Supported
 
Hummingbirds

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Full Sun, Part Shade

Moisture
Moisture
Very Low, Low

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Max 1x / month once established

Nurseries
Nurseries

Ease of Care
Ease of Care
Very Easy, Moderately Easy

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to 0° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Fast, Medium, Slow

Soil Description
Soil Description
Tolerates clay and sand. Tolerates Serpentine Soil. Soil PH: 6.0 - 8.0

Common uses
Common uses
Groundcovers, Deer Resistant, Bird Gardens, Hummingbird Gardens, Butterfly Gardens

Maintenance
Maintenance
Cut or mow to base in fall or early winter to stimulate for new growth. Unwanted rhizomes can be pulled at any time.

Propagation
Propagation?
Self-seeds readily. Rhizomes can be transplanted in winter or spring.

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
This species is found in a number of natural settings over a large part of the state. Near the coast, it is found on slopes, bluffs or canyons as part of chaparral or coastal scrub. In more inland areas including the Sierra, it is found in slightly damper slopes and flats, often near seasonal creeks, often as part of pine or fir forest.

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 2.7" - 124.0", Summer Precipitation: 0.14" - 4.46", Coldest Month: 19.7" - 59.6", Hottest Month: 41.1" - 88.1", Humidity: 0.28" - 40.93", Elevation: -714" - 12228"

Alternative Names
Botanical Names: Zauschneria californica,Zauschneria canum
Common Names: Hummingbird Trumpet


Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links:   Jepson eFlora Taxon Page  CalPhotos  Wikipedia  Calflora


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