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Epilobium 'Sierra Salmon' (Sierra Salmon California Fuchsia) - Soft long narrow blue-gray leaves lightly clothe this low growing densely clumping semi-deciduous subshrub that grows with erect stems to just over a foot tall and spreading slowly out to 2 to 3 feet wide. Some years it will produce a profusion of unusual salmon-colored tubular flowers with four flaring deeply bi-lobed petals in late summer and fall that are displayed well on the upright stems.
Best in full sun in a well-drained soil and, while drought tolerant, looks best with occasional to infrequent irrigation in summer but only if soil drains well. In heavier soils that don't drain well be careful not to overwater as these plants do not like wet heavy soil in summer – better not water them at all in these conditions. Hardy to 5-10 degrees F. After the first year of establishment trim back or shear plants in mid-winter for a neater appearance the following season. These showy late season plants are blooming when many other natives are not and are attractive to hummingbirds.
While the genus name Epilobium is now considered current, this group of sub-shrubs used to be called Zauschneria and are so different from the other Epilobium, herbaceous plants often called Fireweeds, that many California native plant enthusiast and even the experts often still refer to them by this previous name. This former name Zauschneria was given the genus by the Czechoslovakian naturalist Karel (Charles) Borivoj Presl in 1831 to honor his fellow Czech, Johann Baptista Josef Zauschner (1737–1799), a professor of medicine and amateur botanist. The name Epilobium comes from the Greek word 'epi' meaning "upon" and 'lobium' meaning "a pod" in reference to the flowers being superior, meaning that they sit above the developing seed capsules. 'Sierra Salmon' was introduced by Cornflower Farms from a selection made by Carolyn Chainey-Davis at the headwaters of the Yuba River in Nevada County at an elevation of about 6,600 feet. It has performed better in northern California and Oregon than in southern California gardens where it does not bloom reliably each year, and for this reason did not perform as well as more low land and coastal selections in the Rancho Santa Ana Zauschneria trials with the thought that it might need colder winter vernalization to perform its best.
The information displayed on this page about Epilobium canum 'Sierra Salmon' is based on our research conducted about this plant from books in our nursery library as well as from information that is provided by reliable online resources. We also have included our own observations made about it as it grew in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers when we had them in our nursery field. We also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.
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