Fuchsia magellanica 'Hardy Fuchsia'

Onagraceae: A deciduous shrub growing to 3.6m (11ft) by 2m (6ft). Found in forest clearings and margins, especially in mixed evergreen/deciduous woods. Flowers have scarlet sepals with a purple corolla. Native to South America. - Peru and south to Tierra Del Fuego. Naturalized in South West England.

USES:

The fruit a juicy berry can be eaten raw. Medicinal uses include diuretic, and febrifuge properties.

GROWING INFORMATION:

Rapidly germinating, keep seed in constant moisture (not wet) with temperatures of about +20°C [68°F]. Seeds must be covered thinly. Do not cover small seeds, but tightly press into the earth. Keep in cooler conditions after germination occurs. Germination should take place in less than 6 weeks.

Succeeds in any fertile well-drained circum-neutral soil, preferring one that is rich in humus. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Prefers cool moist conditions and some shade. This species is very resistant to maritime exposure, it can be grown right on the coast. The top growth is hardy to about -10°C, this can be cut right back to the ground in severe winters but the plants usually recover well, growing away quickly in the late spring and flowering by late summer.

Plants are pollinated by hummingbirds in the wild, they are good bee plants in Britain.

HARVESTED: 2020

 

APPROX. 100 SEEDS