Fuchsia corymbiflora

©2006

PERUVIAN BERRYBUSH, VINE FUCHSIA
syn. F. boliviana, F. corymbosa
Family Name: Onagraceae
Pronounced: FEWK-see-ah kor-im-bih-FLOOR-uh

GROWING GUIDE

Geographic Origin: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.
Plant Group: Shrub or small tree.

©2006

Hardiness: Sunset zones: 17, 22-24. USDA zones: 10; possibly hardy in zone 9.
Mature size: Height: 12 feet (4 m). Width: 3-4 feet (1-1.2 m).
Flowering period: Summer until first frost.
Flowering attributes: Terminal racemes of red, tubular flowers with reflexed red sepals and scarlet petals followed by 1-inch long pinkish-red edible, tasty fruit. The flowers are hermaphrodite, with both male and female organs.
Leaf attributes: Up to 8-inch long, elliptic, soft hairy leaves.
Light: Partial shade.
Soil: Fertile, moist, well-drained soil.
Feeding: Fuchsias are heavy feeders, thus monthly applications of a complete organic fertilizer, from spring through July, is called for when growing in the ground. In containers, you may want to use a slow release fertilizer. If leaves turn yellow, this may be a sign of the plant needing more nitrogen. Be careful not to over feed as this could burn the plants in containers when using a chemical fertilizer.
Propagation Methods: Sow seed as soon as ripe and germinate at 65-75°F (18-23°C); germination will occur in approximately 6 weeks. Pot up individual seedlings and grow on in a warm greenhouse over winter. | Take cuttings throughout the growing season.
Pruning Methods: Can be pruned hard.
Pests and Diseases: Whitefly, aphids, scale, mealy bugs and spider mites may be problems for this fuchsia. Resistant to fuchsia gall mites, a problem in California, but not in the Pacific Northwest.

Rainy Side Notes

Fuchsia, named after Leonhart Fuchs (1501-66), a German herbalist and physician, is properly pronounced—FEWK-see-ah. However, English-speaking

©2006

people pronounce it FEW-shah. If you pronounce it the correct way, you will probably get either a blank stare as they wonder what you are talking about, or a sideways glance as they think how weird you are to pronounce it so funny. Its epithet—corymbiflora— is a combination of two words, corymb from the Latin corymbus, meaning a bunch of flowers and flora, meaning flowers. In Roman mythology, Flora was the goddess of flowers.

I ordered this fuchsia in 1998 and received it tagged as Fuchsia excorticata. I was not familiar with the species but was intrigued enough by the description to want to try it in my garden. I planted it out, anticipating a tall fuchsia with peeling bark. The next two winters killed it back to the ground, but it came back each spring and grew quite fast to about four feet tall. Someone pointed out to me that it was not F. excorticata and thought instead that it was a tender South American plant. I dug it up and imprisoned it in a container, not wanting to lose the fuchsia with the beautiful trailing red flowers. I wintered it over in the greenhouse from then on. Eventually I identified it with its old name, F. boliviana, a tender tall shrub to small tree from the western part of South America. It was fortunate that its first planting in the garden was a protected enough place for it to survive. Additionally two consecutive mild winters probably helped.

Even with the mistaken identity, the handsome fuchsia became a lovely addition to my garden as a container plant. The bright red, tubular flowers have an exotic, tropical look. Large, edible, red berries, having a mild flavor reminiscent of ripe figs, follow the F. corymbiflora’s flowers. Indigenous people of South America sell the fruits of this fuchsia at the market place.

In the winter of 2004-05, I accidentally left the container on the deck, instead of placing it in the greenhouse. The following spring I gave the container to a friend, thinking the fuchsia did not survive. While sitting on her deck one day, sipping lemonade, I glanced over at the pot and was surprised to see it still in the pot, but even more surprising, seeing leaves growing on the branches. I took some cuttings and received a promise from my friend she would give the plant back to me before winter. I am grateful to have the plant back after my neglect. The fuchsia is proving to be a survivor.

In its native haunts, the fuchsia can grow as high as twelve to fifteen feet under a cool canopy of a maritime forest, with weather consisting of constant cloud cover and no freezes. As with most fuchsias, this one does not grow well in hot climates.

The plant flowers constantly from July well into fall, sometimes longer in the greenhouse. The hummingbirds pollinate it, so it has plenty of berries throughout the season.

Out of a mistaken identity came a beautiful fuchsia that maybe I would not know. For this reason I am grateful for the mistake. However, I still wanted a Fuchsia excorticata and found it difficult to locate one for sale. In the spring of 2005, the nursery where I bought the first one was selling them again. I placed my order for one and told them the story about the last time I ordered it; I jokingly asked if it really was F. excorticata. Without hesitation, they apologized and gave me the new plant at no charge. I was pleasantly surprised and duly impressed, as I was not looking for a replacement, especially after seven years had gone by and I was still captivated by the first one.

All’s well that ends well.

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