california native flora

Galvezia Juncea ‘Gran Canon’ – Bush Snapdragon

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If you are looking for a year-round hummingbird magnet, Galvezia Juncea ‘Gran Canon’ should be near the top of your plant list. Ours is still a juvenile yet it hasn’t stopped flowering since we planted it in October. Although the blooms are a little sparse right now, they are there and the hummies have noticed. A flyby to drink nectar every half hour or so is fun to watch and is a torment for our house cats.

It’s a very fast grower. I have it in a large planter in full sun and it appears to be a happy resident filling the space with a Purple Sage (Salvia Leucophylla). A little water and fast draining soil help keep the plant blooming but it is drought tolerant. Bush snapdragon prefers light afternoon shade inland but near the coast full sun is fine. The uneven growth makes this plant look a little messy but that’s part of the charm and the many flowers help too. This specimen provided a good crop of seeds although I haven’t tried to germinate any yet so I do not know how easy it is to produce seedlings. Propagation from cuttings looks to be a quick and successful way get more specimens of this wildlife attracting plant.

** EDIT September 17, 2010 **

I just found out that I have incorrectly been referring to this plant as “Gran Canyon” for the last year. It’s actually “Gran Canon”, though possibly also known as “Gran Cañon” which may be where my confusion came in. Anyhoo, all up to date and correct now!