- Common names: fuchsia, lady's eardrops
- Botanical name: Fuchsia
- Family: evening primrose (Onagraceae)
- Type: evergreen and deciduous shrubs
- Flowering seasons: summer and autumn
- Planting time: spring or summer
- Height: 50cm to 3m (1.6 to 10ft)
- Width: 50cm to 2m (1.6 to 7ft)
- Aspect: sun or semi-shade
- Hardiness: mostly H4
- Difficulty: easy
One of the best shrubs for flowers over a long period, good old fuchsias bloom abundantly from June until the frosts. With wonderfully gaudy, clashing colours and long stamens and pistils, the flowers dangle from the stems like 1980s earrings. Back in fashion, thanks to their tropical look, these shrubs are excellent in a jungle-style garden, producing an exotic mood but tough enough to survive our winters. Faring well in pots, they are also ideal for an urban container garden.
There are 107 species of fuchsia, most of which are shrubs from South America. In their native habitat, they are pollinated by hummingbirds, and, in the UK, they feed bees. However, of the 8,000 varieties on the market, most are blousy double and semi-double forms sold as summer bedding; as well as sometimes looking a bit dated, their nectar isn't as plentiful or accessible as the more modern-looking single forms. In a study of gardens in Bristol, single-flowered Fuchsia magellanica was one of the main late sources of nectar for pollinating insects, such as bees.
Although the majority of fuchsias are tropical or subtropical plants, F. magellanica hails from the temperate south of Chile and Argentina, including mountainous Magallanes, and is thus hardy here. It is one of the fuchsias that was used to breed many of our hardy garden cultivars and it has naturalised on the west coast of Ireland. In the contemporary garden, it is the simple flower shape and wildlife appeal of the magellanica fuchsia and its single-flowered offspring that are most in demand.
Which fuchsias to grow
For wildlife: the single-flowered fuchsias provide the most nectar for bees and other pollinators; they also have a simple elegance that suits contemporary gardens. 'Flash' is raspberry and red, 'Hawkshead' is white, and F. magellanica var. molinae 'Sharpitor' is pale lilac pink with variegated leaves; all three reach around 1-metre tall.
For colour: for a tropical feel, 'Genii' has vibrant magenta and purple single flowers amongst golden-lime leaves, and new cultivar 'Delta's Sara' produces semi-double lavender and white blooms. Both grow to 60 to 90 centimetres. Slightly bigger at 1 to 1.5 metres, Fuchsia magellanica var. gracilis 'Versicolor' AGM has elegant carmine and purple single flowers amongst gorgeous pink foliage that matures to cream, grey, and green.
For pots: most fuchsias fare well in containers. 'Army Nurse' has buxom semi-double blooms in vivid shades of magenta red and purple, and 'Dying Embers' has smaller single flowers that are dark aubergine and shocking pink. Both grow to 60 centimetres.
For hedging: In mild areas, the larger of the hardy garden fuchsias make good hedging plants. The classic is Fuchsia magellanica, with its classic raspberry and purple single flowers that feed bees. Depending on the conditions, it can reach 1 to 3 metres. Slightly less vigorous are the pink-white form, F. magellanica 'Alba', and the exotic-looking F. magellanica 'Lady Bacon', which has slender pink, red, white, and purple flowers. For cold areas, 'Riccartonii' is the best hedge fuchsia, as it's much hardier than the others and therefore less likely to die back each winter.
How to plant a fuchsia
Choose a sheltered site in semi-shade or in east or west-facing sun. Fuchsias like retentive, well-drained, fertile soil, so fork in organic matter (such as peat-free compost) before planting.
How to grow fuchsias
When hardy fuchsias are given the right conditions and care, they are low-maintenance, easy shrubs to grow.
- Fuchsias dislike extreme sun and extreme shade, so avoid a scorching south-facing spot. Less intense sun or part shade is best.
- Enjoying good, retentive, well-drained soil, it's worth mulching around your fuchsia once a year with organic matter (such as peat-free compost). Do it after the spring prune or in late autumn or both.
- Water newly-planted fuchsias well, until established.
- Cut fuchsias in spring, as required. In mild gardens, a light trim may be all that is needed. In colder regions or harsh winters, Jack Frost may kill off the upper part of the plant; if so, prune hard to remove the dead stems and stimulate new growth.
- All the forms mentioned above are classed as H4 (hardy in most of the UK), except robust 'Riccartonii', which is hardy everywhere in the UK (H6). If you live in Penzance or own a conservatory, you could try growing one of the tender fuchsias, such as fabulous Fuchsia boliviana, which is hung with clusters of long vermillion flowers in late summer and autumn.
- Fuchsia flowers look like ballerinas in tutus, so it's understandable to want to plant them in a breeze to watch them dance. But, if growing outdoors in most parts of the UK, it's best to shelter them from cold winds.
- In colder areas, newly-planted fuchsias can be protected with horticultural fleece for their first winter, and those in pots can be overwintered under cover.
- Most hardy fuchsias are relatively compact, reaching 60 centimetres to 1 metre, and can therefore be grown in containers. Use a loam-based compost and a few handfuls of grit.
- To create a fuchsia hedge, plant 45-centimetres apart. Water well, until established. Trim scraggly parts of the hedge lightly in autumn for shape and give it a harder cut in early spring.
- Some fuchsias have a lax, trailing habit and are often classed as climbers. 'Lady Boothby' is one of the best – it has generous red and damson flowers and can be grown as a wall shrub or aided in scrambling through trellis by tying in.
