california native flora

Epilobium Canum ssp. Canum – California Fuchsia

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The Common California Fuchsia (Epilobium Canum ssp. Canum, formerly known as Zauschneria Californica) is the first California native plant that my wife and I knowingly purchased. We picked this up along with a Sticky Monkeyflower and a Hummingbird Sage from the Conejo Valley Botanic Garden in Thousand Oaks, CA. Although it’s probably the worst time of year to do it, we planted this in the summer and lucky for us it thrived in full sun and triple digit temperatures. The copious red trumpet shaped blooms led to a good harvest of seeds that I used to start baby plants in other parts of the patio garden. The hummingbirds will likely be spoiled for choice this year.

Although it is considered ground cover, I secured the longest stems to a trellis to give the pollinators better access. It seemed to do the trick as the hummingbirds spent a lot of time visiting this plant. The seedlings will be used as ground cover, as nature intended.

The Common California Fuchsia likes full sun and little water. Like related Fuchsia’s this will continue to bloom well into the autumn. It is not likely to get any taller than a foot or two but can spread a bit further. It grows quickly and to keep it looking good it is recommended to prune established plants back every couple of years to encourage fresh vibrant growth.