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| Category: Perennial |
| Family: Onagraceae (Evening-primroses) |
| Origin: California (U.S.A.) |
| California Native (Plant List): Yes |
| Flower Color: Orange Red |
| Bloomtime: Summer/Fall |
| Synonyms: [Zauschneria cana 'Catalina'] |
| Height: 3-4 feet |
| Width: 4-5 feet |
| Exposure: Full Sun |
| Summer Dry: Yes |
| Deer Tolerant: Yes |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 0-10° F |
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Epilobium canum 'Catalina' (Catalina California Fuchsia) - Soft long gray-green foliage lightly clothe this densely branching subshrub. The red-tinted branches reach 3 to 4 feet tall or more and becomes woody at the base. Bright orange-red tubular flowers have four deeply bi-lobed petals which bloom in the summer and fall. 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. This plant was selected by Mike Evans of Tree of Life Nursery from the Middle Ranch area of Catalina Island in 1987. It was one of the highest rated (#3) California Fuchsia in Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden' s "Horticultural Trials for California Epilobium". We were fortunate to have participated in this trial that rated 30 named cultivars and 2 unnamed clones through 2 seasons of growth from 2003 to 2004 and resulted in a report entitled "Horticultural Trials for California Epilobium" published in October 2005. Likely it would have rated the highest in this report if not for rambunctious growth and subsequent size – for those that want a big California Fuchsia this one is the best! As with others of its kind this plant is brittle and breaks easily so use care in its placement. The name Epilobium is considered current but 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 as Zauschneria. This former name 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.
This information about Epilobium canum 'Catalina' displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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