Scarlet fuchsia
Fuchsia coccinea

Family: Onagraceae

What it is like

Fuchsia coccinea is a deciduous Shrub growing to 3.5 m (11ft 6in) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 9 and is frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from June to September, and the seeds ripen from August to October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees. It is noted for attracting wildlife. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 3.5

Where it is found

Not known

S. America - Brazil.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

Brazil, South America. USDA hardiness zones 8-11

How it is used

Food

Rating: 4

Fruit - raw or cooked. A juicy berry with small seeds that can be swallowed, it has a sweet and very pleasant flavour with no hint of any unpleasant aftertaste. It is one of our favourite fuchsia fruits. The ellipsoid fruit can be up to 17mm long.

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating: 1

Attractant for Butterflies and Hummingbirds

How it is grown

Succeeds in any fertile well-drained circum-neutral soil. Requires a good soil and a moist shady position in the summer. A fast-growing plant. Plants are not very hardy outdoors in Britain. They are susceptible to frost damage, though they can be grown outdoors in the summer, then lifted and potted up in the greenhouse for the winter. They can succeed outdoors in the mildest areas of the country if they are given the protection of a wall. A plant in a sheltered wall garden at Greenways Garden in Devon had adopted a climbing habit and was 2 metres tall in May 1996. It is said to fruit freely. Our own plant, obtained as a cutting from Greenways Garden, has grown and fruited very well outdoors in Cornwall, the stems have not been cut back at all in the winter, even when temperatures have fallen below -5°c, although new growth in the spring can be damaged by frosts. We feel that this plant is considerably hardier than its hardyness rating of 9 implies, and that it should succeed outdoors in much of southern Britain. Plants are very susceptible to whitefly when grown in a greenhouse. This species is a parent of many of the hardy fuchsia hybrids. Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits. A good bee plant.

Propagating it: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe though it can also be sown in the spring. Surface sow the seed in pots in a warm greenhouse and do not allow the compost to dry out. Germination should take place in less than 6 weeks. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle, and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Inter-nodal cuttings of greenwood, 5 - 8cm long, May/June in a frame. Quick and easy, a high percentage take. Overwinter in the greenhouse for the first year and plant out after the last expected frosts. Inter-nodal cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. Very quick and easy, treat as greenwood cuttings above. Cuttings usually succeed at any time during the growing season.

Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; East Wall. By.

Habit: Shrub

Hardiness: 8-11

Growth: Fast

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Lady's Eardrops

Synonyms

F. elegans. F. montana. Cambess. F. pendula. F. pubescens.