I first noticed California fuchsia (Epilobium canum) on a wintry December day while entering the FOSC nursery. Just outside the gate in a demonstration garden, I caught a flash of vivid scarlet color against gray-green leaves. I was surprised to see wildflowers so late in the year and decided to find out more about this late-blooming show off.
Called a drama queen by some for its riot of late season color, this perennial shrub continues to bloom late in the year long after other native plants, and thus stands out in the bland color landscape. Its trumpet-shaped flowers attract hummingbirds, hence one obvious common name — drum roll — “hummingbird trumpet”. Apparently, the Chumash people have an even more precise name that means, “hummingbird sucks it.” As hummingbirds have no sense of smell, they are attracted to brightly-colored flowers with a high nectar sugar content like the fuchsia.
As with so many native plants, California Indigenous Peoples employ the fuchsia for a variety of medicinal uses. Leaves taken internally as a decoction or infusion treat an array of ailments: kidney and bladder conditions, tuberculosis, infant fevers, vomiting blood, as a cathartic, and also externally as a wash on sprained limbs. The leaves in a dried or powdered form and applied topically treat cuts, wounds, sores on humans and livestock, and in treating poison oak.
As seems to be fashionable in taxonomic circles, the formal name for our fuchsia, Epilobium canum, is of relatively recent vintage (1992). It literally means upon (epi) the pod (lobium) referring to the flower above the developing seed capsules. It was once named, Zauschneria californica, in honor of an earlier Czech botanist, Johann Zauschner by botanist Karel Presi. Neither scientist had traveled beyond Europe. But Presi did publish works about the botanical specimens collected by Thaddaus Haenke, a prodigious 18th Century Czech botanist who collected extensively in the Pacific basin, some 15,000 specimens. These cover 250 California species including the coast redwood. Haenke preceded the more famous von Humboldt and is called by some the “Bohemian Humboldt”. Presumably our fuchsia was collected by Haenke, published by Presi, and came to rest as a matter of respect with Zauschner who lingers now as a neglected footnote.
Enjoy our drama queen late in the year while wandering around the watershed. It would be hard to miss it and not be dazzled by it.
–Peter Van der Naillen - FOSC Native Plant Nursery Volunteer