Zauschneria californica

The alternate-leaved Zauschneria californica, now known as Epilobium canum, is commonly referred to as the California fuchsia. It is a floriferous perennial shrub that thrives in sunny and dry conditions. From summer to frost, when summer blooms start to fade, it is adorned with numerous tubular flowers resembling fuchsias, in a vibrant orange-red colour under the harsh August sunlight. Its narrow silver-green leaves resemble those of rosemary, but they disappear along with all the stems in winter. It slowly spreads through its strong suckering stump. Perfect for rock gardens, it is one of the best perennials for dry gardens in not too cold climates.

The California fuchsia, as surprising as it may sound, belongs to the evening primrose family, making it a cousin to the evening primroses. Zauschneria californica grows in the western United States on arid slopes and lurks in a scrub vegetation known as chaparral, located in California and northwest Mexico. This shrubby perennial forms a spreading and slightly tousled clump, measuring 60 cm (24in) in diameter and 1 m (3ft) in height. Its remarkably long flowering period spans from July-August to October. With its bright orange-red colour, the flowers form wide tubes from which long stamens emerge. They are borne on a long, swollen pedicel that will transform into a pod filled with numerous tiny seeds. The foliage, highly variable, consists of small, mostly linear leaves, sometimes ovate, opposite or alternate, hairy, ranging from dark green to almost white depending on the climate and soil. When not in bloom, this fuchsia resembles rosemary, albeit without the fragrance. The plant completely disappears in winter in our climates and is semi-evergreen in milder climates. This plant spreads slowly thanks to a robust suckering stump, which can sometimes be invasive if it finds favorable conditions.

With its exuberant summer flowering, Epilobium canum is essential in dry coastal gardens or on scorching limestone plateaus, as it manages to bloom during challenging months. On a dry slope, you can pair it with rosemary, combining their blooms in October, in blue and red. It complements all plants in limestone rock gardens, such as tall sedums, rockroses, lavenders, Dorycnium hirsutum, or Helichrysum italicum. If you are interested in and fond of Zauschneria, do not miss the opportunity to try the Beschorneria yuccoides, also native to Mexico, a rhizomatous perennial with a fountain-like habit and spectacular summer spikes in red.