ORANGE COUNTY ZOO
Photo courtesy of
Irvine Park Railroad
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The Orange County Zoo is
owned and operated by the
County
of Orange, California.
Web page produced by the
Orange County Zoological Society,
Copyright 2005.
Chuparosa
Justicia californica
The name chuparosa is Spanish for hummingbird, as these birds frequent the
nectar-rich plants, pollinating flowers as they feed. The tubular dull-red
flowers bloom from February to June. Chuparosa can be found along desert
watercourses, mostly below 2,500 feet, in southeastern California, southern
Arizona, and northwestern Mexico.
Native American Usage
The Native Americans used flowers was a sweetener and also sucked the flowers
for the nectar.