Another Perfect Plant: California Fuchsia

California Fuchsia, as the name implies, is a native of Northern California. It comes from the Mattole River in Humboldt County and was selected by Ray Collett and Brett Hall. The trumpet scarlet flowers begin to bloom in August and flowers through September. The silvery-white foliage grows in a dense mound or mat not exceeding more than a foot high and two feet wide. A sun lover, it is considered drought tolerant once established. Here, In the Seattle area, this particular variety performs well with late season color that can give your garden a boost of hot color. Preferring well-drained, rocky soils be sure your site has very good drainage especially for the wet months of late fall and early winter when Zauschneria goes dormant. Note well: t is not unusual for the California Fuchsia to decline before frost. Once dormant, a good tip to follow would be to cut the dead foliage back early to late spring and not in late Fall. The dead foliage helps protect the early emerging shoots.

This is an excellent plant for sunny dry front of borders, south facing banks, and between rocks. This plant is a favorite of hummingbirds. You can read more about the California Fuchsia on Great Plant Picks here.