Phygelius 'Strawberry Blond'

215-019D4 Phygelius 'Strawberry Blond' ( Cape fuchsia )
Joy Creek Photo Archive (c) all rights reserved	Joy Creek Nursery has been blessed with many gardening friends who hybridize and select new plants. A few years ago, we received a call from Richard Hartlage, the well-known Seattle area garden designer and writer. He had found a sport of Phygelius 'African Queen' that he thought was significant. Indeed, the plant he found has proven to be exceptional in beauty and vigor. What makes this Cape fuchsia so special is the surprising but attractive combination of soft yellow flowers in contrast with the red stems and petioles that the plant inherited from 'African Queen'. We called Richard to ask him to help us name the plant and he gave us the name 'Strawberry Blond.' Like 'African Queen,' which is a cross between the two species P. aequalis and P. capensis, Phygelius 'Strawberry Blond' is fully winter hardy in Pacific Northwest gardens. For gardeners in colder climates, it can make an ideal container plant. It is semi-evergreen in habit and spreads slowly at the base with underground rhizomes, Although Phygelius are from South Aftrica and are not native, we have found all of the Cape fuchsias to be attractive to our local hummingbirds. Summer to autumn. 3 ft. x 3 ft. Pale Yellow flowers *Sun Zones 7, 8, 9, 10*