{"id":58164,"title":"Fuchsia magellanica","description":"The Fuchsia Flower","content":"<p><strong>Fuchsia flowers have a unique mechanism that makes bees work harder.<\/strong> The flower\u2019s long, dangling stamens are positioned well below the petals, meaning that when a honeybee lands to collect pollen, it must stretch, hang upside down and vigorously vibrate its wings. This helps the bee to collect a large amount of pollen.<\/p><p>\u00b7 <strong>Common Name<\/strong> \u2014 Hardy Fuchsia; Magellan Fuchsia; Hummingbird Fuchsia; Lady\u2019s Eardrops<\/p><p>\u00b7 <strong>Scientific Name<\/strong> \u2014 <em>Fuchsia magellanica<\/em><\/p><p>\u00b7 <strong>Name meaning<\/strong> \u2014 <em>Fuchsia<\/em> honours Leonhart Fuchs (1501\u20131566), a German physician and botanist. <em>Magellanica<\/em> refers to the Strait of Magellan in southern Chile, close to part of the plant\u2019s native range.<\/p><p>\u00b7 <strong>Family<\/strong> \u2014 Onagraceae, the evening primrose family.<\/p><p>\u00b7 <strong>Native<\/strong> \u2014 The plant was first discovered in the Caribbean (modern-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic) in 1639 by French monk and botanist Charles Plumier. Central and southern Chile and southern Argentina, including Patagonia.<\/p><p>\u00b7 <strong>Flowering Season<\/strong> \u2014 Summer into autumn, typically July to October in the UK.<\/p><p>\u00b7 <strong>Flower Colours<\/strong> \u2014 Usually scarlet or crimson red sepals and flower tubes with contrasting purple or violet petals. Some varieties have pink, white or paler flowers.<\/p><p>\u00b7 <strong>Typical Height<\/strong> \u2014 Around 1.5\u20132.5 metres, although established plants can reach around 3 metres in favourable conditions.<\/p><p>\u00b7 <strong>Lifespan<\/strong> \u2014 Perennial, deciduous shrub. The foliage and upper growth may die back in colder winters, but the plant can regrow from its hardy roots.<\/p><p>\u00b7 <strong>Habitat<\/strong> \u2014 Moist, temperate woodland, forest edges, scrub and other damp habitats, particularly in the mountainous regions of southern Chile and Argentina.<\/p><p>\u00b7 <strong>Pollinators<\/strong> \u2014 Primarily hummingbirds in its native habitat. Bumblebees and other insects also visit the flowers, particularly where the plant has become naturalised outside its native range.<\/p><p>\u00b7 <strong>Main Uses<\/strong> \u2014 Primarily grown as an ornamental garden shrub, hedge or wildlife-garden plant. Its berries are edible, although they are not especially valued as a fruit crop. It has also been recorded as having medicinal and environmental uses.<\/p><p>\u00b7 <strong>Symbolism<\/strong> \u2014 Fuchsia is commonly associated with <strong>grace, beauty, elegance and delicate love<\/strong>, reflecting its distinctive hanging flowers.<\/p><p>\u00b7 <strong>Interesting Fact<\/strong> \u2014 <em>Fuchsia magellanica<\/em> is one of the hardiest fuchsia species and can survive outdoors through much of the UK.\u00a0<\/p>","urlTitle":"fuchsia-magellanica","url":"\/blog\/fuchsia-magellanica\/","editListUrl":"\/my-blogs","editUrl":"\/my-blogs\/edit\/fuchsia-magellanica\/","fullUrl":"https:\/\/trip-and-hendry.teemill.com\/blog\/fuchsia-magellanica\/","featured":false,"published":true,"showOnSitemap":true,"hidden":false,"visibility":null,"createdAt":1788801978,"updatedAt":1788802125,"publishedAt":1788802124,"lastReadAt":null,"division":{"id":446026,"name":"Trip and Hendry"},"tags":[{"id":4683,"code":"flowers","name":"Flowers","url":"\/blog\/tagged\/flowers\/"},{"id":4684,"code":"plants","name":"Plants","url":"\/blog\/tagged\/plants\/"}],"metaImage":{"original":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/6zvjr3cm8xz6gtflrv0p3hb24pwyytevghbyubvwm1ls5jku.jpeg","thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/6zvjr3cm8xz6gtflrv0p3hb24pwyytevghbyubvwm1ls5jku.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/6zvjr3cm8xz6gtflrv0p3hb24pwyytevghbyubvwm1ls5jku.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"metaTitle":"","metaDescription":"","series":[],"similarReads":[{"id":58155,"title":"The Sunflower","url":"\/blog\/moon\/","urlTitle":"moon","division":446026,"description":"Some quick facts about the Sunflower.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/zup7fopbyk8qu4iwsjigop1rbip1r3x6rjeuzakjcfsygwrv.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/zup7fopbyk8qu4iwsjigop1rbip1r3x6rjeuzakjcfsygwrv.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0}],"labels":[]}