Plant of the Month September – California Fuchsia September 20th, 2017

September Plant of the Month – Epilobium canum– California Fuchsia

( note some databases and nurseries refer to it a Zaushneria californica) While this native fuchsia can seem to take over through many part of the year it is this time of year the annoyance seems worth it. The mounds at the MG Livermore Demo Garden and parts of the habitat garden are completely carpeted with this bright bloom. Bees and hummingbirds flock to it.

It starts blooming mid summer when the garden is looking a bit tired and burst out full force in Sept and Oct and continues through the rest of fall. The perennial dies back once frost hits and we cut down to the ground in winter and once the days get longer and the temps increase the mound is covered in a light green carpet.
We spend the next few months keeping it from suffocating the other plants but then as I mentioned earlier the late summer show makes it all worth it. This is a Low water plant but I find it is more rampant with irrigation.  If you want to cover large space the straight species is great. If you want a more controlled ground cover that stays lower and has a bit more refined look I prefer Epilobium Everets Choice or Epilobium septentrionalis Mattole River 

This plant is both on the Master Gardeners of Alameda County Outstanding Plants of Alameda County brochure http://acmg.ucanr.edu/Outstanding_Plants_for_Alameda_County/ (which I helped author back in 2007 ) and UCDavis Arboretum All Stars http://arboretum.ucdavis.edu/allstars_detail_12.aspx

#POM