Although it does not appear to have reached the gardens of Europe until about 1874, it was originally discovered by Robert Cunningham, an Englishman, in 1834 when he visited New Zealand for the purpose of supervising the shipment of naval spares for the Government of New South Wales, his brother Alan having spent a number of years plant hunting in Australia before returning to Kew in 1831. This trailing species first discovered in 1834 in the North Island of New Zealand growing in the sand along the shoreline, likes growing down banks and will cover an area of around 18 to 20ft in New Zealand, prostrate in growth, the slender, trailing stems often attain several feet in length. The flowers are very free, very small and point upwards, very unfuchsia like. The foliage also cannot be recognised as fuchsia, very small leaves, heart shaped and pretty, borne on slender stalks.
Growth consists of long, thin trailing stems which root quite freely, woody and creeping.
This species is extremely hardy, even in most parts of Britain, can be used to effect on the larger rockeries or even very suitable for furnishing a hanging basket. Synonymous with F. prostrate.