Epilobium canum

Common Names

California Fuchsia, Hummingbird Trumpet, Zauschneria, Firechalice, Wild Fuchsia, Hummingbird Flower, Kolibritrumpet

Summary

California fuchsia is a drought-tolerant perennial native to California and western North America, growing as a low spreading to mounded subshrub with slender gray-green, fuzzy leaves. It features bright scarlet to red-orange tubular flowers that are nectar-rich and highly attractive to hummingbirds, with seeds dispersed by wind. Plants typically reach about 0.25–3 ft in height and 2–3 ft in width, spread by rhizomes and self-seed readily to form informal masses.

In cultivation, it favors full sun to partial shade and well-drained soils, with deep, infrequent irrigation after establishment and little fertilization; prune lightly after flowering to maintain shape, and mulch sparingly to conserve moisture. It propagates by seed, cuttings, or division, and is suitable for rock gardens, slopes, borders, containers, and erosion-control plantings; provides wildlife value by offering nectar to hummingbirds and butterflies and supports low-water, drought-tolerant landscapes.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

1-3 feet

Spread

2-3 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zones 5-9

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally full sun. Tolerates partial shade.

Soil Type

Well-drained, gritty or sandy soil

Soil Drainage

Well-drained soil.

Soil pH

Tolerates all pH levels

Bloom Color

Red

Bloom Time

Summer to Fall

Foliage Color

Gray-green

Fall Foliage Color

Gray-green

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous, Semi-deciduous

Growth Rate

Fast growth, spreads about 20 ft in about 10 years

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Cuttings, Division

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts hummingbirds, butterflies, and birds