Practical
Plants

Fuchsia boliviana

a perennial woody evergreen member of the Fuchsia genus in the family Onagraceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Fuchsia
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Woodiness
woody
Growth rate
vigorous
Height
3.5 m
Spread
1 m
Fertility
Bees, Birds
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees, Birds

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Fruit - raw[10][4][7]. A juicy berry[K], it has a sweetish taste[11][5]. A pleasant flavour[6]. The fruit can be up to 25mm long[7].

Plant part
Fruit

Environment

Range
S. America - southern Peru, through Bolivia to northern Argentina.
Habitat
Grows in cool mossy forests in the Andes at altitudes of 1800 - 3000 metres[11][9].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 10+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe[7] though it can also be sown in the spring[1]. Surface sow the seed in pots in a warm greenhouse and do not allow the compost to dry out[7]. 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[78, K]. 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[K]. Cuttings usually succeed at any time during the growing season[K].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Succeeds in any fertile well-drained circum-neutral soil[7]. Requires a good open humus-rich soil and a moist partially shady position in the summer[10][9]. A fast-growing plant[6]. Plants are not very hardy outdoors in Britain. They are susceptible to frost damage at temperatures of 0°c[9], though they can be grown outdoors in the summer, then lifted and potted up in the greenhouse for the winter[10]. They can succeed outdoors in the mildest areas of the country if they are given the protection of a wall[3]. A plant in a sheltered wall garden at Trengwainton in Cornwall was 2 metres tall and flowering very freely in August 1995, though there was little fruit set[K]. Plants are evergreen so long as the temperature remains above 4°c[6]. Plants are very susceptible to whitefly when grown in a greenhouse[6]. This species is closely related to F. corymbiflora[1]. Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[8]. A good bee plant[2]. This species has a long tubular flower and is pollinated by humming birds in the wild[9].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  2. International Bee Research Association. Garden Plants Valuable to Bees. International Bee Research Association. 1981-00-00

    ↩

  3. Taylor. J. The Milder Garden. Dent 1990-00-00

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  4. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

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  5. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩

  6. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  7. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  8. Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0 460 86048 8

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  9. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2 Pan Books, London. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-330-37376-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  10. Boullemier. L. The Checklist of Species, Hybrids and Cultivars of the Genus Fuschia. Blandford Press 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-7137-1781-5

    ↩1↩2↩3

  11. Towle. M. A. The Ethno-Botany of Pre-Columbian Peru.

    ↩1↩2

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