Herb: Trailing Fuchsia


Latin name: Fuchsia procumbens


Synonyms: Fuchsia kirkii


Family: Onagraceae (Evening Primrose Family)



Edible parts of Trailing Fuchsia:

Fruit - raw. It might be edible, but it is not very nice. The fruit is about 18mm in diameter.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Shrub

Height:
15 cm
(6 inches)

Flowering:
July to
September

Habitat of the herb:

Sandy, gravelly or rocky places above the high tide mark, but occasionally covered by extra high tides, North Island.

Other uses of Trailing Fuchsia:

The plant makes a carpet of growth and can be used for ground cover when spaced about 60cm apart each way.

Propagation of the herb:

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.

Cultivation of Trailing Fuchsia:

Sandy, gravelly or rocky places above the high tide mark, but occasionally covered by extra high tides, North Island.

Medicinal use of the herb:

None known

Known hazards of Fuchsia procumbens:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.