Hummingbird trumpet
Epilobium canum · Onagraceae
📷 Stan Shebs · CC BY-SA 3.0
The gardener's calendar
Hummingbird trumpet is in full bloom: enjoy it, watch watering in hot weather and let spent flowers feed pollinators before pruning.
ID card
- Common name
- California Fuchsia
- Family
- Onagraceae
- Plant type
- Perennial herb
- Adult height
- 60 cm
- Flowering
- July to September
- Flowers
- Scarlet red tubular flowers
- Foliage
- Deciduous, fine and linear
- Hardiness
- Down to approximately -10 °C
- Origin
- Mediterranean region of California
✓ Taxonomy verifiedSource: AI estimate · hardiness: reliability medium.
Expert tips
The key tip
Epilobium canan absolutely demands well-drained soil and full sun. Water moderately: it handles summer drought far better than persistent moisture.
The common mistake
Placing it in wet soil or treating it like a forest shrub: it's not an umbrella plant.
The pro's trick
Pinch the stems in June to force lateral branches to develop: this will boost your July-September flowering and give you a really full, bushy shape.
Care
Sunlight
Install your California fuchsia in full sun for generous and continuous flowering. It tolerates partial shade but will flower less abundantly. This plant appreciates well-exposed locations with good air circulation.
Watering
Water moderately during the growing season, allowing the soil to dry slightly between waterings. Once established, this plant tolerates drought well and requires little water. Significantly reduce watering in winter.
Soil
Well-drained soil is essential to prevent root rot. Enrich your potting mix with sand or gravel if needed. This plant prefers light and even poor soils to overly rich substrates.
Pruning and deadheading
Prune lightly in spring to remove dead parts and encourage compact growth. Remove faded flowers to extend flowering. Moderate pruning keeps the plant bushy and vigorous.
Fertilizer
A balanced fertilizer application once or twice during growth is more than sufficient. Avoid excess nitrogen which would encourage foliage at the expense of flowering. A plant in poor soil can do without fertilizer.
Diseases and pests
This plant is generally robust and rarely susceptible to disease. Watch out for excessive watering which could cause rot. Good drainage and sufficient aeration prevent most problems.
Did you know?
The California fuchsia is a true marvel for hummingbirds: its scarlet red tubular flowers are perfectly adapted to their long beaks and provide a privileged source of nectar during the California summer. This remarkable coevolution makes it an essential plant for gardens that attract pollinators.
Where to buy it
Plant in spring or early autumn, avoiding spells of intense heat. Pick a plant with healthy foliage and roots that are not exposed. Best time: March, April, May, September.
Add this plant to my garden →Plants from the same family
- Pink evening primroseOenothera speciosa
- Hardy fuchsiaFuchsia magellanica
- Evening primroseOenothera fruticosa
- Bolivian fuchsiaFuchsia boliviana
- ClockweedOenothera lindheimeri
- Fuchsia regiaFuchsia regia
Tips generated and checked by Viridia — adapt them to your local climate.