Wednesday wildflower: red escallonia

Only about 10% of New Zealand's dicotyledon weeds come from Central and South America, and of those that do, many are cultivation escapes.  Red escallonia, Escallonia rubra, is in that category.  Plants from the Americas with red hanging flowers are often hummingbird pollinated (including E. rubra: Aizen & Rovere 2010).

Red escallonia, Escallonia rubra.  The branch at left is shown from the underside.

Red escallonia is often grown as a hardy hedge plant, especially in coastal sites.  I've never seen it being a nuisance; in my experience it just establishes sporadically nearby to cultivation sites, but some serious weeds have started out that way.

References

Aizen M.A.; Rovere, A.E. 2010. Reproductive interactions mediated by flowering overlap in a temperate hummingbird–plant assemblage.  Oikos 119: 696–706.  doi: 10.1111/j.1600–0706.2009.17762.x

Webb, C.J., Sykes, W.R.; Garnock-Jones, P.J. 1988.  Flora of New Zealand Vol. 4.  DSIR, Christchurch.