Fuchsia Banks’ ‘Prince Albert’

Horticultural & Botanical History

‘A superb flower in all respects.’  [FC p.79/1856].  It was also figured in the Illustration Horticole [IH p.42/1855] and Flore des Serres [FS f.975/1855].  In the The Gardeners Chronicle of 1851 ‘Prince Albert’ was recorded as a ‘dark variety’ shown at the Vauxhall Gardens show.  Banks’ ‘Prince Albert has a ‘tube scarlet crimson, with a rich violet corolla, fine.’  Advertisement from Bainbridge & Hewison, Nurserymen, Seedsmen and Florists, York.  [Gard. Chron. 1856]. 

Not surprisingly more than one fuchsia was named ‘Prince Albert’ and at least two others were present in Australia at this time.  V. Marshall, Nursery and Seedsman of Elizabeth Street, Hobart, Tasmania, offered for sale the fuchsias Brown’s ‘Prince Albert’, Smith’s ‘Prince Albert’, ‘Coronet’, ‘Vesta’, ‘Wat Tyler’, ‘Kentish Bride’ and ‘Epsii’.  [The Courier, 11th November 1846].  The following notice also appeared in the The Courier, on Saturday 6th April 1850.  ‘The Autumn Exhibition of the Gardeners and Amateurs' Floral and Horticultural Society was held on Wednesday last, at the Music Hall, Collins-street.  The best collections of fuchsias were exhibited by Mr. Rheuben and Mr. A. Douglass.  Those of Mr. Rheuben's were all seedlings, and Mr. Douglases' comprised specimens of the Corallina, Napoleon, Acanthe, Fairbairn's Delicata, Miss Prettyman, Cassandra, Smith's Prince Albert, and Fulgent.’

History at Camden Park

Listed only in an addendum to the 1857 catalogue [A.44/1857].  The date of introduction to Camden suggests Banks’ cultivar but it could be one of the rivals.

Notes