Epilobium septentrionale

The genus Epilobium in the Onagraceae (Willowherb or Evening Primrose) family includes numerous species. Epilobium septentrionale is a rare species (CNPS list 4.3) known by the common names Humboldt County Fuchsia and Northern Willowherb. Plants in this genus were once treated as members of genus Zauschneria, and some sources still refer to it by that name. This species is endemic to northern California, where it is an uncommon resident of the rocky ledges of the Cascades. It is a squat, clumpy perennial growing in thin patches of soil between rocks and sending up a few erect stems. The leaves are oval and pointed, hairy, and covered in a coat of white fuzz. At the end of each erect branch is a hairy flower cluster bearing a bright red-orange tubular flower 2-3 centimeters long. A bunch of stamens and one long pistil protrude obviously from the mouth of the bloom, which is pollinated by nectar-feeding birds. The fruit is a hairy capsule about two centimeters long. This plant would be a good choice for the north coast garden. For other regions, other species in this genus are available.