Fuchsia Miller’s ‘Miss Prettyman’

Horticultural & Botanical History

William Miller, Nurseryman of Ramsgate, placed a notice in The Gardeners Chronicle of 1846 to the effect that he ‘will agree to show his Fuchsia “Miss Prettyman”, a seedling of 1845, against Mr. Halley’s “Empress” on the conditions named in the challenge.  “Miss Prettyman” – Large glossy white tube and sepals, with blood-purple corolla, free bloomer, of very graceful and superior growth, similar to “Cassandra”, but the flowers a decided improvement upon Smith’s “Queen Victoria”, being both smooth and shining and pronounced by Dr. Lindley “a flower of good contrast”.  A cultivar of this name is still available, at least in the USA.  The description of semi-double red corolla with sepals of waxy white seems consistent with Miller’s description.  [backyardgardener.com].

History at Camden Park

Listed in the 1850 and 1857 catalogues [T. 485/1850].  The following notice appeared in The Courier, Hobart, Tasmania 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.’  The source of William Macarthur’s ‘Miss Prettyman’ is not known and it could have been obtained from one of his Hobart contacts.  It is also possible that the Hobart pants were obtained from Camden although I have found no record of this.  Interestingly Macarthur had received ‘Venus Victrix’ from J. Abbott of Hobart but reported on 16th June 1846 that it, and another unnamed variety had died since arrival.

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