This is not a fuchsia, it is a fuchsia-flowered gooseberry, aka Ribes speciosum, which is native to California. Judging from its Wikipedia entry, it is of basically no interest at all.
Lunchtime Photo
8 thoughts on “Lunchtime Photo”
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Well, it may not be of interest to me in the way that bushes bearing edible gooseberries, huckleberries, & Jostaberries are, but its ability to grow in dry environments, its category as a native plant, & recommended planting in wildlife gardens makes it interesting for more than those angular blossoms. Thanks for showing this plant!
Kevin, we prefer that Wikipedia remain neutral (or as much as possible) and just publish the information (such as it is).
You did fail to mention however, that it received the Royal Horticultural Society's
"Award of Garden Merit".
Further, I think that it is quite beautiful in flower.
No interest indeed!
The wild gooseberries that grow around here are almost completely inedibility and completely indecorative.
The flowers are small, pale and feeble while the fruits have no fruit at all but are a bunch of small, hard seeds. Often the berries will be covered in pointy, dangerous spikes, as if designed by nature to prevent anyone from eating them, not that anyone would.
Ever consider what immigration driven (human) population growth and the accompanying required development does to the habitat of California nativeflora and fauna?
Important for wildlife and some showier cultivars available in the trade
" it is of basically no interest at all."
Depends if your interests include pie. Currants, btw, are in the same ribes genus and all members of that genus are edible.
It does appear as if that particular plant doesn't bear fruit as large as the gooseberries which I have made into pies. Still, I like the uses to whic6j it can be put, especially in our increasingly dry conditions (& really don't care whether or not it is lauded by any organization with "royal" in its name).
Of course, gooseberry fool is my second favorite use of gooseberries, once a spring treat, along with a Pimm's cup, at a favorite DC restsurant.
We planted this in our yard last year before the pandemic and they're blooming now ^-^