Somebody may have answered this before, but I finally looked it up in:
"The Native Trees of New Zealand" by J.T. Salmon, published by: Reed 1980,
page 121
Fuchsia excorticata (or Tree Fuchsia or "Kotukutuku")
"A small tree up to 14 m high, or sometimes a shrub. Fuchsia trees can be
recognized by their red, papery, outer bark which is normally peeling to
reveal a satiny-smooth, pale yellowish-brown or yellowish-green inner bark.
The trunk is usually 60-80cm through, sometimes up to 1m in very old trees.
These points are clearly illustrated in the tree from Opepe Bush, Taupo, in
Fig 1."
(snip)
"Kotukutuku is the largest fuchsia in the world. It is common all over New
Zealand from sea level to 1,060m and is also found in the Auckland Islands.
It is common in second-growth areas, where is may even be the dominant tree,
or along stream banks."
(end)
I imagine that such a tree could grow in the comparative mild climate of
Victoria,B.C. Canada. Bucharts Gardens also have growing there the NZ
Cabbage Tree (Cordyline australis or Ti kouka) formerly classified as a
member of the Lilliaceae family but now in the Avavaceae. When in the former
category, its was the largest in the world and now in the later category one
of the largest. NZ has many unique and unusual species, all excellent for
photographing.
Here ends the tourism plug
;-]
Ron
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