Description
Smooth stems can be up to 120 cm tall in lush environments but expecting 50 cm is more reasonable! The stem bears several whorls of leaves in its lower portion but the upper half is where you will find the flowers.
Up to 30 (more usually 5-15) flowers are carried on each stem from July onwards. These are nodding and are typical Turk’s cap-shape, with a waxy texture and a soft sweet fragrance. The petals vary from ivory to light pink after opening and then gradually changing to deep pink with a yellow band in the middle. At all stages the flowers are densely spickled with purple.
This is native to western USA where it grows in open Redwood forests in the redwood region of N. California to SW Oregon. It is used to wet winters in the wild and summer moisture and humidity making it well suited to European gardens if these conditions can be provided.