Fuchsia
Description: Introduced to England in the 1820s for hedging purposes, Fuchsias evidently became popular in the Isle of Man in Victorian and Edwardian times, as their prevalence around old farm buildings, cottages and along roadsides testifies. The original variety of Fuchsia magellanica, a native of Argentina and Chile, has naturalised widely and is regarded almost as an established part of the Manx wild flora, thriving in the mild maritime climate.
Fuchsias have been readily adopted in designs for arts and crafts products as symbolic of the Isle of Man. Their Manx name, Jeirnyn Yee, means 'God's tears'. The flowers provide an attractive nectar source for bees, hoverflies and moths.
Date found: 1938-10-04
Taxonomic name: Fuschia magellanica var. macrostema
Collection: Natural History Botany Collection
ID number: 2010-0027/717