Fuchsia magellanica – commonly known as the hummingbird fuchsia, hardy fuchsia or chilco (from Mapudungun: chillko "watery" – is a species of flowering plant in the evening primrose family Onagraceae, native to the lower Southern Cone of southern South America.
They arrived in England in the late 18th century. According to tradition, the English gardener James Lee discovered them on the windowsill of a seaman's house and bought them for a considerable sum. As early as 1793 Lee is said to have sold a large number of pieces that he had pulled from this one copy. Fuchsia magellanica, and its cultivars and hybrids, are widely cultivated by plant nurseries and gardeners as ornamental plants. They are grown in temperate and subtropical gardens and conservatories, in containers on patios, balcony|balconies, and indoors. They prefer a sunny position.
The plants are quite cold-hardy compared to other species from more tropical climates, being deciduous where frosts are light, and only top die back in hard frosts (with mulching). The profuse drooping flowers are a nectar source attractive to hummingbirds.
This species, and hybrids using it as parent stock, are very susceptible to the fuchsia gall mite, Aculops fuchsiae, a serious disfiguring pest that was first accidentally spread from its native Brazil to the West Coast of the United States in 1980. It has more recently made appearances in France (2003), the Channel Islands (2006) and the United Kingdom (2007). Fortunately the fuchsia gall mite does not readily survive temperatures below 40 °F (4 °C), and there are effective treatments and strategies.
It has been used in traditional remedies as a diuretic and antipyretic.
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