Carried by 50 nurseries
View Availability at NurseryData provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria
View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora
Island Snapdragon (Gambelia speciosa) is a somewhat vine-like perennial plant native to the Channel Islands and to Guadalupe Island, Mexico. It has trumpet-shaped red flowers that attract birds, especially hummingbirds. Under the right conditions it can bloom almost year round.
Island Snapdragon is easy to grow, fast growing and beautiful, a perennial widely available in native California nurseries. It prefers sun or part shade (more shade inland), but you will get more flowers in full sun. It likes rocky slopes and seaside conditions and will tolerate a variety of soils. It tolerates occasional summer water, up to twice a month. Good in containers, and hummingbirds are attracted to the flowers and the plant is a larval food source for the Checkerspot butterfly.
It was formerly categorized under the genus Galvezia, and some sources still list it that way. 'Firecracker' is a popular horticultural variety.
Shrub
1 - 3 ft Tall
10 ft Wide
Spreading
Fast
Evergreen
None
Red
Spring, Winter
Containers
Full Sun, Partial Shade
Very Low
Max 2x / month once established
Easy
Tolerates cold to 30° F
Fast, Medium, Slow
Tolerates a variety of soils.
Soil PH: 6.0 - 8.0
Because it tends to be vine-like, it can be cut back whenever stems get too lengthy. Don't cut back into the woody portion.
Seeds or cuttings. For propagating by seed: No treatment.
Rocky slopes, bluffs, canyons and coastal terraces of the Channel Islands among coastal sage scrub
Coastal Sage Scrub
Island companion plants include Santa Cruz Island Ironwood (Lyonothamnus floribundus ssp. asplenifolius), Island Live Oak (Quercus tometella), Tree Poppy (Dendromecon harfordii), Island Bristleweed (Hazardia detonsa), Redflower Buckwheat (Eriogonum grande var. rubescens), Catalina Cherry (Prunus ilicifolia ssp. lyonii), and Giant Coreopsis (Leptosyne gigantea). Other chaparral and sage scrub companions include California Encelia (Encelia californica), California Sagebrush (Artemisia californica), Bladderpod (Peritoma arborea), and Ceanothus spp.