California fuchsia (Epilobium canum angustifolium)
Description
Doubly attractive, this bushy perennial bears fiery hummingbird-pollinated flowers and handsome gray-green leaves. It is native to shrubby hills and canyons in western and central California. The woolly, narrowly lance-shaped leaves of this variable perennial alternate or are paired along brittle, upright to arching stems that may be calf- to waist-high. Leaves often persist year-round in mild climates, but plants are deciduous where sub-freezing temperatures are frequent. Showy spikes of red or orange, narrowly trumpet-shaped flowers with gaping mouths appear from summer to mid-fall. Some forms have white or pink blooms. Plants may self-sow prolifically if not deadheaded. This drought-tolerant perennial requires ample sun, dryish summers, and circumneutral, relatively dry soil. It fails in damp conditions. Most forms of angustifolium are hardy to USDA zone 7, returning from the root if top growth is killed back. Hummingbird trumpet is excellent for mixed borders, hummingbird gardens, and naturalistic plantings
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum:
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Class: Magnoliopsida
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Order: Myrtales
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Family: Onagraceae
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Genus: Epilobium
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