Culture
Where winter hardy, this plant is best grown in moist, organically rich, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Appreciates some part shade during the heat of the day in hot summer climates. Deadhead spent flowers to prolong bloom. This is a suckering subshrub that will spread in optimum growing conditions if not restrained. Low-growing branches may root where they touch the ground. This species basically behaves like an evergreen to semi-evergreen sub-shrub in mild climates (Zones 8-9), an herbaceous perennial in cooler climates (Zones 7), or an annual in cold climates (north of Zone 7). It may survive some mild winters in the St. Louis area (Zone 6a), but should be sited in a protected location and mulched. Geographically, it grows best in Mediterranean-type climates on the West Coast. Plants typically grow poorly in the deep South where they greatly dislike the hot and humid summer conditions.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Phygelius aequalis, commonly known as cape fuschia or phygelius, is a woody-based sub-shrub of the figwort family that typically grows to 2-3’ tall and 1.5-2’ wide bearing showy, trumpet-shaped, pendant, yellow-throated, crimson to dull red flowers in dense pyramidal terminal panicles (to 10” long) with flowers hanging from only one side of the stem. It is native to forested areas, moist slopes, stream banks and open woodlands in South Africa. Flowers bloom throughout summer. Ovate leaves (to 4” long) are dark green.
Genus name probably comes from the Greek word phyge meaning flight or avoidance "in consequence of its having so long escaped the research of botanists", according to W.J. Hooker (1855).
Specific epithet means of equal or similar size.
The Croftway Series of phygelias is a series of vigorous, long-blooming plants developed in the United Kingdom in a breeding program commenced in 1997 wherein the parents were individual unnamed seedlings of P. aequalis (female parent) and P. aequalis ‘Yellow Trumpet’ (male parent). The purpose of this breeding program was to develop new plants with different flower colors than the crimson to dull red flowers found on species plants. Results of the breeding program were the introduction of four new cultivars, virtually identical except for flower color, all of which were subsequently patented in the U. S. as follows: ‘Crocorpri’ CORAL PRINCESS (USPP 18,601) featuring coral pink flowers with pale yellow throats, ‘Cropurpri’PURPLE PRINCE (USPP 18,540) featuring violet flowers, ‘Crosnoque’ SNOW QUEEN (USPP 18,366) featuring white flowers with pale yellow throats, and ‘Croyelsov’ YELLOW SOVEREIGN (USPP 18,376) featuring creamy yellow flowers. In comparison to P. aequalis plants, Croftway Series cultivars are noted for having more compact size, longer spring to fall bloom period, denser flower spikes and a free blooming habit.
‘Crocorpri’, commonly sold under the trade name of CROFTWAY CORAL PRINCESS, is a cultivar that features a long bloom of coral pink flowers with yellow throats on plants growing to a compact 30” tall and as wide. U. S. Plant Patent PP18,601 was issued on March 18, 2008.
Problems
No known serious insect or disease problems. Winter hardiness is a problem for the St. Louis area.
Uses
Sunny borders. Containers.