Plant Library

Other Names:  E. californicum, E. ciliatum, Zauschneria

Group/Class:  Bloomtastic! Series

Brand:  Ball

Description:

A low spreading sub-shrub with silvery gray-green lance shaped leaves and scarlet red flowers in late summer, into fall; best with some afternoon shade in hotter areas; very drought tolerant, allow to dry out before watering

Ornamental Features

Sidewinder California Fuchsia features showy red trumpet-shaped flowers with white throats and gold anthers at the ends of the stems from late summer to mid fall. Its pointy leaves remain grayish green in color throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Sidewinder California Fuchsia is an herbaceous perennial with a ground-hugging habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cut back to the ground in late winter before active growth resumes. It is a good choice for attracting bees and butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Sidewinder California Fuchsia is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Sidewinder California Fuchsia will grow to be about 16 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant performs well in both full sun and full shade. It prefers to grow in average to dry locations, and dislikes excessive moisture. It may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selection of a native North American species.

Sidewinder California Fuchsia is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its spreading habit of growth, it is ideally suited for use as a 'spiller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the edges where it can spill gracefully over the pot. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.