Herb latin name: Fuchsia splendens


Synonyms: Fuchsia cordifolia


Family: Onagraceae (Evening Primrose Family)



Edible parts of Fuchsia splendens:

Fruit - raw. A juicy berry, it is tart with a peppery after-taste. This is the nicest fuchsia fruit we have eaten as yet, its flavour is somewhat lemon-like with no noticed aftertaste, our 12 month old child was ecstatic about them, eating them in quantity. A very agreeable flavour. The fruit can be up to 40mm long and 8mm wide.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Shrub

Height:
2 m
(6 1/2 foot)

Flowering:
June to
November

Habitat of the herb:

An epiphytic plant, growing on the moss-covered branches of trees. Cloud forest, moist oak and pine woods at elevations of 2,000 - 3,400 metres.

Propagation of Fuchsia splendens:

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 the herb:

An epiphytic plant, growing on the moss-covered branches of trees. Cloud forest, moist oak and pine woods at elevations of 2,000 - 3,400 metres.

Medicinal use of Fuchsia splendens:

None known

Known hazards of Fuchsia splendens:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.