Epilobium obcordatum

[Weiser]

Rockfringe (Epilobium obcordatum) is showy with it's 4" pink flowers clustering around the base of granite boulders or peeking out of the fissured cliff faces. This is a two inch tall creeping plant of the sub-alpine and alpine fellfields. The small glabrous gray leaves are rounded and held close to the stems giving the nonflowering plants a  neat tidy appearance. Once in bloom one hardly notices the foliage since the flowers steal all the attention.
It can be seen growing in the Cascade, Sierra Nevada, Steens, Strawberry and Sawtooth Mountain  Ranges of north central CA, north eastern NV, south eastern OR and central ID.

http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=24381
 
http://science.halleyhosting.com/nature/basin/4petal/evprim/epi/rosewillow.htm

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=EPOB

http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-taxon=Epilobium+obcordatum
 

[cohan]

That is one nice Epilobium, John! Do you grow it?

[Weiser]

I tried to tansplant some cuttings in July but the weather got too hot and dry. I think it all dried up. I'll try again next year given half a chance. It dosn't look like it would be too hard to grow.

[Hoy]

John, why not try seed? Or are there some variation and inferior specimens occur?

[Weiser]

I would have to make a special eighty mile trip and a five mile mountain hike just to collect seed. Through the year I am more apt to come across it without seed when I go out on hikes. I should be able to take cuttings any time I find it, since it does send out short rhizomes. I just had bad luck this year. We had a three week spell with temps of 100 degree Fahrenheit and humidity's of 10%>. Needless to say, not the best time to transplant anything let alone non established cuttings.
As they say there is always next season!!

[Hoy]

Hope you are luckier next season