Phygelius ‘Pink Elf’
SCROPHULARIACEAE, The Snapdragon family
Look inside the blossoms of this perennial to really appreciate it. The long, nodding, trumpet-shaped blooms are a putty-pink outside, but red, yellow and coral inside. Sometimes called Cape Fuchsia, this South African native is a shrubby evergreen in mild climates, but dies to the ground and should be mulched in colder places. Phygelius likes sun to part shade. This variety grows to 18 to 24 inches, but most cultivars grow 3 to 4 feet tall. While Sunset suggests watering them regularly, I’ve seen them growing happily on many parking strips, suggesting they are at least somewhat drought tolerant. It attracts hummingbirds.
