Elderberry
December 18, 2014
Passion fruit
January 1, 2015

Fuchsia procumbens

Fuchsia procumbens. Sorry there is no nicer way of naming it. This is our only native fuchsia which looks nothing like the fuchsias we used to see commonly in our grandparents gardens – and get told off for “popping” the flowers.

This fuchsia is a ground cover and is the smallest fuchsia in the world. Unfortunately it is now rare in its native habitat – sandy, gravelly or rocky places near the sea in the North Island from North Cape to Maunganui Bluff on the west coast, and to the northern part of Coromandel Peninsula on the east coast. In fact it is now listed as an endangered species.

However it is easy to grow in northern gardens, and makes a great groundcover requiring little maintenance other than the occasional prune (or pull) to stop its spread. Its lime green leaves throughout summer create a bright and lush look, ideal for tropical gardens. The very small flowers occur in September – May followed by edible red berries in early winter, when it does tend to drop some leaves. If you want a fast growing, hardy, and light looking ground cover, perhaps this is one you could try.