Cantua buxifolia
"Sacred Flower of the Andes"

Whether this gorgeously blooming shrub really was sacred to the Incas, I don't know, but it comes from the Andes, is scarce in cultivation and is very, very beautiful indeed. It makes a dazzling display in Spring/Summer, bearing bright cerise/red, tubular flowers, 2 ½" -3" long, flaring at the tips in dense, terminal clusters. It enjoys rich soil (tolerates worse), a sunny sheltered position and is hardy in the Bay Area. Can grow to 7' tall and usually needs tying or staking.

Annie