Fuchsia is a genus of flowering plants that consists mostly of shrubs or small trees. The first, Fuchsia triphylla, was discovered on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola about 1696–1697 by the French Minim monk and botanist, Charles Plumier.
Fuchsia are immensely popular outdoor plants throughout the English-speaking world. They were first imported from subtropical regions in South American and New Zealand into the United Kingdom in the late 18th century and have subsequently been the focus of extensive hybridizing. Today, there are fuchsia available in a wide range of colors, with the bell-like flowers blooming in white, pink, red, purple, or various combinations. They've also been bred as single, double, or semi-double flowers. And finally, they can be used in any number of situations, as trained standards, trailing baskets, or pots of colorful blooms. Long thought of as outdoor plants, indoor fuchsia are often thrown away after their bloom is finished. In reality, they can be overwintered, and a new set of leaves and blooms will emerge next spring for another display.
