Aussie ‘Pink Flamingo’ stands out in dry garden

This is one part in a weekly series featuring the UC Davis Arboretum’s “Garden Gems” series – 45 can’t-fail, easy-care, low-water plants well adapted to our region and that add sparkle to drought-tolerant landscapes.

Pink Australian fuchsia

Correa pulchella ‘Pink Flamingo’

Size: To 3 feet tall and 6 feet wide.

Bloom season: Large pink bells are produced November to March.

Exposure: Sun or light shade.

Pruning needs: Prune shrub when young to increase branching and create a good structure.

Water needs: Medium to low water; once established, irrigate deeply once a week or twice a month. Must have good drainage.

Snapshot: This Australian is right at home in Sacramento and the Sierra foothills. Nicknamed “Australian fuchsia” because of its bell-shaped flowers, correa is a cold-hardy and compact evergreen shrub with shiny dark green leaves. But it’s the attractive flowers that make Pink Flamingo stand out. In winter and early spring, those blooms provide nectar for California native Anna’s hummingbirds. Correa, which is deer resistant, can take some shade and works well planted under or near native oaks.

For more on “Garden Gems,” click on arboretum.ucdavis.edu.

This story was originally published July 28, 2017 at 2:00 PM with the headline "Aussie ‘Pink Flamingo’ stands out in dry garden."