How To Plant A Stunning Drought Tolerant Garden: California Fuschia

How to plant a stunning drought tolerant garden might be just the thing to think about now as spring approaches! Drought tolerant gardens have become somewhat of a necessity in many areas unfortunately, and are a wonderful solution to the proverbial front lawn that has become costly and wasteful to sustain in many cases. Drought tolerant gardens can include both natives and species from other areas of the world, and there is truly no shortage of amazing plants to try out.

On my visits to Northern California is it always such a pleasure to see so many home owners who have embraced the idea of drought tolerant gardens with results that are truly inspiring! I’ve singled out some of the beautiful plants I noticed in a neighborhood of Oakland CA, called Haddon Hill, so lets get this mini series started with California Fuchsia, which happens to be a native to the area!

California Fuchsia (Epilobium canum), also called Hummingbird Flower, and Hummingbird Trumpetis, a beautiful and unique species of willowherb, which is native to the California foothills and coastal areas. A perennial plant, distinguished by its abundance of small bright red trumpet shaped flowers in summer and fall, it is often the only native California plant in an area flowering at the height of summer. California Fuschia generally dies back and goes dormant in the winter.

California Fuchsia is easy to grow, and will flower most profusely in full sun. In the wetter, northern part of its native range or near the coast, this plant will typically require no supplemental water after established. In the drier, hotter, inland southern areas, it will often die without summer water unless planted close to an irrigated or other wet area. That said it might only need watering once a month, so it is still classified as drought tolerant.

Size: 3 – 18 in Tall, 2 – 3 ft Wide

Form: Spreading

Growth rate: Fast

Dormancy: Winter Semi-deciduous

Plants tend to get leggy after flowering by late fall or early winter, so one should cut plants back to the ground when the flowering period is finished. In this way, the plant will grow back back wonderfully in the spring. If not cut back, the plant it will look sparse and unhealthy the next year and may not survive.

Do be aware that Californai Fuschi will readily self-seed, so once you get this species established, it will usually start springing up around your garden. It also spreads by rhizomes, which can be a good thing or an annoyance, so do keep this in mind. That said, there’s probably no better California native plant for attracting hummingbirds!

Plant type: Perennial herb

Size: 3 – 18 in Tall, 2 – 3 ft Wide

Form: Spreading

Growth rate: Fast

Dormancy: Winter Semi-deciduous

Ready to give this plant a try? While this plant is planted in the front yard towards the front, and looks great here, I’d go for a location where cutting back the plant in the winter will be less noticeable?

Happy gardening!