Fuchsia coccinea

Fuchsia coccinea is a shrub from Minas Gerais, Brazil. It belongs to the evening primrose family, Onagraceae. Its common names include scarlet fuchsia and lady's eardrops. In the wild, it grows on open, rocky mountain grasslands. These sites lie near some of the state's highest peaks. Its recorded elevation range is 4,593–6,562 feet [1,400–2,000 metres]. Kew places it in a seasonally dry tropical climate.

Its shape and size change with the shelter available. On exposed sites, it forms a compact shrub. There, it reaches about 1.6–4.9 feet [0.5–1.5 metres] tall. Useful Tropical Plants also lists a height of 11.5 feet [3.5 metres]. In sheltered woods, its stems can scramble through nearby growth. These stems may reach 23 feet [7 metres] long. The same source gives conflicting accounts of its foliage. Its main text calls it deciduous, while its summary says evergreen.

Flowers can appear year-round, though summer brings the main display. Bees and hummingbirds visit the blooms, and plants are self-fertile. The fruit is an oval berry with small seeds. It can reach about 0.06 feet [0.017 metres] long. People gather the wild fruit for local use. They eat it fresh or cook it. The flesh is juicy and sweet, and the seeds are edible. Useful Tropical Plants lists no known hazards or medicinal uses. This does not establish safety for every use or animal.

In gardens, this fast-growing shrub needs fertile soil that drains well. It prefers soil close to neutral in pH. Give it a moist, shaded spot during summer. PFAF suggests dappled shade, a woodland edge, or an east-facing wall. It lists USDA hardiness zones 8–11. Gardeners grow the species for ornament, and bees use its flowers. Breeders have also used it to produce hardy fuchsia hybrids. Reports suggest that rabbits tend to leave it alone.

Both seed and cuttings offer ways to raise new plants. Sow fresh seed on the surface and keep it moist. Use a partly shaded seed tray rather than full sun. Germination should take less than six weeks. Move seedlings into separate pots once large enough to handle. Greenwood and half-ripe cuttings root readily during the growing season. PFAF does not flag this species as weedy.