Common Name:

General Information

Fuchsia microphylla is a rather variable plant. Usually an erect, deciduous shrub growing 100 - 250cm tall, in a shady woodland it can adopt a more climbing habit with stems up to 500cm long, whilst in more exposed situations it can be low and prostrate or nearly so[, ].
The edible fruits are often gathered from wild plants for local use, whilst the plant is also often grown as an ornamental.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

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Range

C. America - Panama. Costa Rica, Nicaragua, north to central Mexico.

Habitat

Open places in oak and pine woods in Hidalgo. Mexico, Michoacan and Jalisco Counties[]. Mostly in dense, moist or wet, mixed forest, sometimes in low thickets or in exposed rocky places at elevations of 1,200 - 3,800 metres in Guatemala[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	1.80 m
Growth Rate	Medium
Pollinators	Insects
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of moderate to higher elevations in the tropics, also succeeding in subtropical and warm temperate areas.
Succeeds in any fertile well-drained circum-neutral soil[]. Succeeds in a good loam if sand and leafmold are added[]. Plants grow best in cool summer conditions with good light[].
Fuchsia species flower and fruit mainly on new wood produced in the same growing season. Any pruning, therefore, is best carried out at the start of the growing season, cutting out old wood in order to encourage vigorous new growth[].
Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[].
A good bee plant[].
A polymorphic species, a number of sub-species are recognised[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[]. A small round berry about 5mm in diameter, it is juicy with a reasonable flavour but rather a fiddle to pick[]. The fruit can be up to 1.5cm in diameter according to one report[], but this is much larger than we have ever seen it[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe[] though stored seed can also be used. Surface sow the seed in a semi-shaded position in a seed tray, gently pressing the seed into the compost, 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 until large enough to plant out.
Inter-nodal cuttings of greenwood, 5 - 8cm long in a frame. Quick and easy, a high percentage take[, ].
Inter-nodal cuttings of half-ripe wood in a frame. Very quick and easy, treat as greenwood cuttings above[].
Cuttings usually succeed at any time during the growing season[].

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