Chilean Fuchsia

Fuchsia magellanica

These are seedlings from Alerce, Chile – 3000 feet up in the coastal mountains of Chile, where they grow as 6′ x 5′ mounding understory bushes in cedar forests. The beautiful, dangling flowers have red sepals and a purple corolla, though as seedlings they will be variable. The edible fruit is deep purple/black when ripe and is favored in making marmalade.

Like other hardy fuschias they would benefit from a winter mulch in colder winter areas. Bushes will leaf out late from existing branching in mild winter regions, and will die back to the ground in the cold end of the range, but will develop new branches and bloom in late summer/early fall in colder zones.  Select two to insure pollination if fertile berries are desired.  Give them partial sun (full sun in cool summer areas is fine!) and a well drained, moist, acidic-to-neutral soil out of drying winds. USDA Zones 6-9.