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Fuchsia excorticata

Common name:	Konini	Family:	Onagraceae
Author:	(J.R.Forst.&G.Forst.)L.f.	Botanical references:	11, 44, 200
Synonyms:	Skinnera excorticata (J.R.Forst.&G.Forst.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	New Zealand.
Habitat:	Lowlands and lower montane forests, along forest edges, streams and shady gullies on North, South, Stewart and Chatham Islands[44].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	2	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	corticata = with bark; excorticata = with peeling bark;
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Myrtales. Evening Primrose family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	New Zealand

Physical Characteristics

A decidious shrub growing to 10m at a medium rate. It is hardy to zone 9 and is frost tender. It is in flower from May to June. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. It is noted for attracting wildlife. We rate it 2/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge.

Edible Uses

Fruit; Sap.

Fruit - raw or cooked in pies, tarts, cakes, desserts etc[3, 173, 183]. Juicy[11]. A juicy berry[K], it is sweet but astringent[153]. A unique flavour, they are best combined with potato flour or corn starch in order to temper the slight astringency[183].
Sap - sweet. Obtained by cutting a length of branch and sucking out the sap, it is not freely produced however[173].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

Cosmetic; Dye; Ink; Wood.

A purple dye is obtained from the plant (the part is not specified, though it is likely to be the pollen). It makes a good ink[173].
The pollen is bright blue and was used by the Maoris as a face powder[48, 173].
Wood - very strong and durable with an attractive grain, but hard to work. Used for making small items[128].

Cultivation details

Succeeds in any fertile well-drained circum-neutral soil, preferring one that is rich in humus[1, 200]. Prefers semi-shade and a sheltered position[1, 15]. Does well in woodland conditions[166].
This species is only hardy in the mildest parts of Britain[11, 48], tolerating temperatures down to about -10°c when fully dormant. The young growth in spring, even on mature plants, is frost-tender and so it is best to grow the plants in a position sheltered from the early morning sun[K]. It grows well outdoors in &ndndndnd and along the west coast of Scotland[59, 184].
Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[233].
A good bee plant[108].
A very unusual plant in that its pollen is bright blue[173].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe[200] though it can also be sown in the spring[1]. Surface sow the seed in pots in a warm greenhouse and do not allow the compost to dry out[200]. 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 in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Inter-nodal cuttings of greenwood, 5 - 8cm long, May/June in a frame. Quick and easy, a high percentage take[78, K]. Overwinter in the greenhouse for the first year and plant out after the last expected frosts.
Inter-nodal cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. Very quick and easy, treat as greenwood cuttings above[K].
Cuttings usually succeed at any time during the growing season[K].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

PFAF Web Pages

This plant is mentioned in the following web pages

Web References

[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for the family Onagraceae.

To be included in the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[3] Simmons. A. E. Growing Unusual Fruit. David and Charles 1972 ISBN 0-7153-5531-7
A very readable book with information on about 100 species that can be grown in Britain (some in greenhouses) and details on how to grow and use them.

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[15] Bryan. J. and Castle. C. Edible Ornamental Garden. Pitman Publishing 1976 ISBN 0-273-00098-5
A small book with interesting ideas for edible plants in the ornamental garden.

[44] Allan. H. H. Flora of New Zealand. Government Printer, Wellington. 1961
The standard work, in 3 volumes though only the first two are of interest to the plant project. Very good on habitats.

[48] Boullemier. L. The Checklist of Species, Hybrids and Cultivars of the Genus Fuschia. Blandford Press 1985 ISBN 0-7137-1781-5
Merely a list of names and the occasional elaboration.

[59] Thurston. Trees and Shrubs in &ndndndnd.
Trees and shrubs that succeed in &ndndndnd based on the authors own observations. Good but rather dated.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[108] International Bee Research Association. Garden Plants Valuable to Bees. International Bee Research Association. 1981
The title says it all.

[128] Laing. and Blackwell. Plants of New Zealand. Whitcombe and Tombs Ltd 1907
An old flora of New Zealand in a readable style. Some details of plant uses.

[153] Brooker. S. G., Cambie. R. C. and Cooper. R. C. Economic Native Plants of New Zealand. Oxford University Press 1991 ISBN 0-19-558229-2
An interesting and readable book on the useful plants of New Zealand.

[166] Taylor. J. The Milder Garden. Dent 1990
A good book on plants that you didn't know could be grown outdoors in Britain.

[173] Crowe. A. Native Edible Plants of New Zealand. Hodder and Stoughton 1990 ISBN 0-340-508302
A very well written and illustrated book based on the authors own experiments with living on a native diet.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[184] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Shrubs. Pan Books 1989 ISBN 0-330-30258-2
Excellent photographs and a terse description of 1900 species and cultivars.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[233] Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990 ISBN 0 460 86048 8
A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
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