Fuchsia Vulcanica

Description

Hanging clusters of long, tubular, pinkish red and orange flowers open on this rare, superb and sought-after plant, followed by small, edible fruits. It is easily cultivated in cool temperate climates without extremes of heat or cold, either in a well-drained spot in the garden or a large container. In a severe winter it can be cut to the ground, but invariably re-emerges the following spring. A marvelous shrub to about 1.5 m tall it is native to paramo and cloud forests of the Andes in Colombia and Ecuador between 2500 and 4000 m.

Sowing Advice

These seeds have already been thoroughly cleaned and cold-stored for several months. They should be sown into a well-drained, sandy compost at any time of the year, and covered thinly with sand or grit and kept moist. Keep at between 15 and 20 degrees C. Germination usually occurs within 4 to 6 weeks although some seeds may take much longer. The very fine seed has a large proportion of fine sand added to it to enable easier handling and sowing.

Key Facts