Epilobium canum ssp canum 'Olbrich Silver'

Selected at the Olbrich Botanical Garden in Madison, Wisconsin, this cultivar of the Californian subspecies stands out from the typical form by its particularly intense and dense silvery-white foliage, which is its main attraction even outside of any flowering. The pronounced tomentosity of the leaves gives them an almost woolly appearance that sharply contrasts with most rock garden perennials.

It forms a rounded and dense bush 40 to 60 cm in height, with branched stems covered with small narrow leaves of a bright white-gray. The tubular flowers, in a vivid red-orange to scarlet, are borne in large numbers at the ends of the branches and stand out with striking clarity against the silvery background of the foliage, creating a particularly marked chromatic contrast.

Its flowering in cultivation extends from August to October, making it one of the latest and most colorful accents of the rock garden at the end of the season.

It requires full sun, very well-drained and rather dry soil, and winter protection in climates with prolonged frost. As with the typical form, perfect drainage in winter conditions its longevity.