Habitat and Culture
1. Habitat of Fuchsia triphylla
Fuchsia triphylla grows as a low, tangled shrub on open slopes, in moist roadsides and along the edges of pine and mixed forests at an altitude between 700m and 2000m.
In the Dominican Republic, the Fuchsia triphylla grows together with the Fuchsia pringsheimii in the humid forest and pine forests of the Valle Nuevo National Park with bright red or garnet colored flowers on both sides of the road.
Fuchsia pringsheimii
More than three centuries after the discovery of Fuchsia triphylla by Charles Plumier, biologists who research the genus Fuchsia say there has been a decline in density-dependent distribution. Threatening the equality of Fuchsia triphylla.
This is probably the result of climate change and damage to the living environment due to intensive logging and the construction of infrastructure. Climatic changes can also play a role in this.
2. Culture of Fuchsia triphylla
To maintain the species Fuchsia triphylla as a plant in our climatic environment, for example for research, breeding purposes or as part of a collection of botanical fuchsias, a lot of patience, knowledge and adaptation is required.
Not much has been published about the culture of
Fuchsia triphylla until now. There is one thing that all publications agree on, and that is that it is definitely not an easy plant. Not easy to keep alive and not easy to grow and bloom. If you can get hold of a cutting, it is important to regularly check the plant for its condition, or rather
its well-being.
What was also found by these scientists is that an evolution is taking place in Fuchsia triphylla.
The plant is not only found less because of the threats indicated above, but research shows that the plants that are found become more infertile, which does not benefit the natural distribution.
It was also found that the plants may show minor changes in appearance due to the deteriorated conditions, including in terms of flowering and growth, but that may also be an evolution over time, which is observed in several plant genera.
The plant prefers the same conditions as it has in its natural habitat.
Constant high humidity of about 70% and a high temperature between 25 and 27 degrees Celsius.
And preferably all year round, even in winter, which is sometimes difficult to achieve.
Furthermore, light is an important factor in the cultivation of Fuchsia triphylla. To grow, Fuchsia triphylla needs warm temperatures for most of the year and does not receive direct sunlight for long periods of time.
In most of the documentation on the cultivation of Fuchsia triphylla, it is sufficient to indicate that the plant should be placed in a light place, but not directly in the sun, and that requires further explanation. Not in direct sunlight to prevent the plant from using too much moisture and burning. But a bright place is necessary for its assimilation and in our part of the world with its winters with little sunlight or on a gloomy cloudy day the light intensity here is 1000 lux, on normal days it is 10,000 to 20,000 lux. And on clear sunny days it is even 100,000 to 125,000 lux. But in its natural habitat, the strength of the sunlight is above 200,000 lux.
And the plants there receive that light much longer than here. It is light there for 12 hours. It is therefore clear that the plants here lack a lot of light and that is partly the cause of a slower if not difficult growth and flowering of Fuchsia triphylla in our region. More has been written about the substrate in which Fuchsia triphylla must grow in various publications.
But it is striking that almost every advice about the composition of the substrate differs and one can therefore conclude that it is based on own experiences with it, possibly adapted to the available culture conditions.
It is not possible to give clear, unequivocal advice in this regard.
Natural environment Fuchsia triphylla
An airy composition of the substrate and good water permeability are common. Good drainage of water is an important thing for Fuchsia triphylla.
The plant does not like wet feet or wet conditions, but watering works about the same as with orchids, occasionally a lot of water which can also be drained well and then dry again for a while.
And then of course the fertilization or the nutrition of the plant. Little or nothing is known about this except that a lot of nitrogen in high concentrations is not tolerated.
Taking the above culture description into account, it is admirable that
Fuchsia triphyllas are still being maintained in Europe by enthusiasts, growers and breeders.
But due to their difficult circumstances, these plants are also increasingly suffering from a decline in growth and flowering and especially from reduced fertility.
Note: This culture instruction is intended for Fuchsia triphylla and cannot be universally applied to Fuchsia triphylla cultivars. Often other conditions apply.
In the introduction above it is said that the designation triphyllas is not correct because there is only one species: namely Fuchsia triphylla. But in the descriptions of the Fuchsia triphylla cultivars, one will occasionally encounter an indication in the descendants of a cultivar that suggests that there are several Fuchsia triphyllas. As far as is known, this only occurs with Fuchsia triphylla cultivars grown by Dutch breeders.
If in the pedigree of a Fuchsia triphylla cultivar, Fuchsia triphylla 'Herrenhausen' is mentioned, then the following is meant.
Fuchsia triphylla 'Herrenhausen'
At the end of the last century, a group of fuchsia enthusiasts from the Dutch Circle of Fuchsiavrienden who visited the gardens of Herrenhausen in Hanover saw a fuchsia that caught their attention in the ancient part of the Berggarten, where several fuchsia species and cultivars are kept.
On closer inspection and a limited identification, it was agreed that it was Fuchsia triphylla. But then a Fuchsia triphylla that bloomed much more profusely than the species that was kept in the Netherlands.
This plant had apparently tolerated the European climate well and was not affected by the evolutionary process. At least that's what it seemed because of the exuberant bloom. Cuttings of this plant were grown and distributed to breeders who used it as parent plant.
It soon became apparent that despite the plant's richer flowering, the fertility of the plant was hardly any better than the species that had been used until now. The few Fuchsia triphylla cultivars that originated from these crosses are listed as older Fuchsia triphylla 'Herrenhausen'
Fuchsia triphylla cultivars have also been sporadically bred in which publications indicate Fuchsia triphylla 'Paul Berry' as the parent or with the addition: PB or with a number, e.g. PB7760 no7. In that case it concerns plants that have been grown in the Netherlands by members of the Dutch Circle of Fuchsia Friends from seed.
Biologist and Fuchsia expert Paul Berry noted the decline of Fuchsia triphylla populations and the deterioration of the quality of the species found in their natural habitats. He collected seed from plants of which he saw that the decline in growth and flowering and possible fertility was still reasonable, which he sent to the Netherlands.
These seedlings were then numbered and distributed among members of the breeding group and the botanical group of the Dutch Circle of Fuchsiavrienden. Many of the seedlings were not viable, only a few were used for breeding, which showed that the plants did not deviate from the species used so far in terms of fertility.
Fuchsia triphylla
Fuchsia triphylla Paul Berry (PB) 12