Interesting Plant: California Fuchsia (Epilobium canum)
By Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
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Epilobium canum, also known as California fuchsia or Zauschneria, is a species of willowherb in the evening primrose family (Onagraceae).[1] It is native to dry slopes and in chaparral of western North America, especially California. It is a perennial plant, notable for the profusion of bright scarlet flowers in late summer and autumn.
The name reflects that in the past it used to be treated in a distinct genus Zauschneria, but modern studies have shown that it is best placed within the genus Epilobium. Other common names include California-fuchsia (from the resemblance of the flowers to those of fuchsias), hummingbird flower or hummingbird trumpet (the flowers are very attractive to hummingbirds), and firechalice.
The original genus name was in honor of Johann Baptista Josef Zauschner (1737–1799), a professor of medicine and botany in Prague. – Wikipedia
More information on California Fuchsia (Epilobium canum):
- California Fuchsia (Epilobium canum) on Wikipedia
- California Fuchsia (Epilobium canum) on Calscape
- California Fuchsia (Epilobium canum) at Las Pilitas Nursery
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Interesting Plant is a series from A Gardener’s Notebook blog and podcast that highlights the most interesting plants I find in my Internet and real-world travels — Douglas