California Gardens - The Year Round Gardening Site

Zauschneria californica, Epilobium canum - California fuchsia

Zauschneria californica in an east or northwest exposure on well drained soils. I have placed the California Fuchsia in the garden with full sun to full shade and even with fairly heavy soils and had consistantly good results. I have seen it growing robustly in full sun near the coast. The California fuchsia has even done well growing under Eucalyptus trees where we cleaned up the debris with moderate frequency. The brilliant orange red flowers of Zauschneria californica are prominent in the summer and fall. Zauschneria californica has been a popular plant for hybridizers and a fair amount of hybridizing has been done. There is some variation in flower color but most impressive is the range of foliage. The width of the leaves and the amount of gray on them is favored in some of the cultivars. Zauschneria californica will go dormant in the winter, especially in cold areas, I cut them back to near the ground. A number of nurseries are now selling these plants under the name of Epilobium canum with a wealth of named cultivars..
Epilobium canum 'Armstrong' * late blooming
Epilobium canum 'Catalina' * upright and has broader more silver leaves, longer blooming
Epilobium canum Calistoga * soft green leaves, lush appearance
Epilobium canum Carman's Grey
Epilobium canum 'Cloverdale' * selected from the Russian River area
Epilobium canum 'Diamondback' * Upright, broader leaves, longer blooming (Pictured below)
Epilobium canum 'El Tigre' * selected from Santa Cruz Island's El Tigre peak, has blue/green leaves
Epilobium canum Ghostly Red
Epilobium canum Oat Hill Mine Road * Broad grey/green leaves
Epilobium canum Route 66 * red flowers, green leaves
Epilobium canum Sierra Salmon * upright, cold tolerant, salmon flowers
Epilobium canum Topanga * selected from Santa Monica Mountains
Epilobium canum Uvas Canyon * Selected from the San Jose area
Epilobium canum 'Wayne's Silver' * more cold tolerant, requires a bit more water

Epilobium canum Diamondback, California Fuchsia

Red flowers of Zauschneria californica, Epilobium canum Diamondback - Diamondback California Fuchsia. High resolution photos are part of our garden image collection.

Zauschneria californica, Epilobium canum, California Fuchsia

Red flowers of Zauschneria californica, Epilobium canum - California Fuchsia. High resolution photos are part of our garden image collection.