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14th August 2005
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baskets. They have a long
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The Royal
Horticultural
Society
Recommended varieties
There are thousands of different types of fuchsia, having been bred from a The BBC is not
handful of wild species found in Mexico, the West Indies and New Zealand. responsible for content
on external websites
The first fuchsia to be named was F. triphylla, found in the Dominican Republic, Weather
probably around the end of the 17th century. The discoverer, Father Charles
Plumier, was a French Franciscan monk and botanist who named the plant For local
after Leonhart Fuchs, a 16th-century German doctor and herbalist. weather enter a
UK postcode:
Colours vary from pinks, purples, whites and reds to sober and flashy Go
multicoloured mixtures (true yellow is still elusive). Several (for example
Fuchsia magellanica) can even be grown as hedges. Latest: forecast

They basically divide into the hardy ones that can be left outside all year, the
bushy or upright tender kind for pots, and the dangling, trailing ones for
hanging baskets. All flowers have three parts: the upper tube; the sepals
beneath that often point out like wings (they look like petals but aren't); and the
corolla (the real petals), the skirt-like growth underneath the sepals. Each can
be differently coloured in some varieties.

Hardy fuchsias
These involve little effort, apart from a spring pruning to generate new growth.

F. magellanica: flowers non-stop from mid-summer to autumn and

makes a terrific red-flowering hedge, reaching 3m (10ft) high and
growing nearly half as wide. Its two best forms are the 1.5m (5ft) high
var. gracilis with scarlet and purple flowers, and the low-growing, 60cm
(2ft) high 'Variegata' with white-edged, light green leaves. The Royal
Horticultural Society has given var. gracilis and 'Variegata' its Award of
Garden Merit (AGM).
F. 'Riccartonii': widely grown and justifiably popular, it makes dense
twiggy growth that can reach 1.8m (6ft) high. Its large numbers of single
flowers have a scarlet tube and a deep purple corolla. The Royal
Horticultural Society has given it its AGM.
F. 'Tom Thumb': a dwarf hardy variety, about 23cm (9in) high, which has
 single flowers of crimson and mauve. It's ideal in a rockery where it can
be clearly seen. Has been given the AGM by the Royal Horticultural
Society.
F. 'Madame Cornelissen': low-growing at 30cm (75in) high, making a
small hedge or divide, it has semi-double scarlet and white flowers

Pot plants
F. 'Annabel': at 60cm (2ft) high and wide, it has beautiful white flowers
with a pink flush. Because the stems are quite lax it can also be grown in
hanging baskets. The Royal Horticultural Society has given it the AGM.
F. 'Celia Smedley': highly rated by professionals and amateurs, it has a
mass of large pink and red flowers, set off by the fresh green leaves.
Vigorous and strong growing, 75cm (2.5ft) high and wide, it can also be
grown as a standard. Has been awarded the AGM by the Royal
Horticultural Society.
F. 'Tennessee Waltz': upright and bushy, with a height and width of
60cm (2ft), it has an abundance of pink and lilac flowers right through
summer and early autumn. Has been awarded the AGM by the Royal
Horticultural Society.

Trailing fuchsias
F. 'Pink Marshmallow': makes a terrific show in a hanging basket with
scores of large pink flowers set against its light green leaves. Has been
awarded the AGM by the Royal Horticultural Society.
F. 'Swingtime': a popular, showy, flashy variety which produces double
blooms of red sepals and fluffy bright white corollas. Not for the timid.
Measures 60cm (2ft) high by 75cm (30in) wide. Has been awarded the
AGM by the Royal Horticultural Society.

Growing tips
Hardy fuchsias: Plant them in spring, with the roots slightly deeper than if
they were in a container, to offer extra protection during winter. In colder
districts place them at the foot of a sunny, sheltered wall in well-drained soil,
and provide winter protection. Prune hard in spring, leaving just 15-30cm (6-
12in) of stems from which new growth will shoot. Plants grown as hedges are
less severely pruned, although a portion of the old frosted wood should always
be removed. Only prune when new breaking buds are visible.

Container plants: The majority of fuchsias are tender and therefore prone to
frost damage. However, they can be easily grown outside from June to early
autumn, being brought into a frost-free greenhouse over winter. Grow new
young plants in John Innes No2, and pinch out the young shoots regularly to
encourage bushiness. These young shoots can be used as cuttings to make
new plants.

Stop pinching out after late spring or it will postpone the flowering. Begin
feeding the plants six weeks after you have re-potted them (you can either use
an all-purpose feed or a high-nitrogen fertiliser in spring to encourage leafy
growth, followed by a high-potash feed once the flower buds appear), and
promptly remove the fading flowers all through summer.

In early September reduce the watering to let the older wood mature. By the
end of the month, the plants should be kept almost dry. Stand them in the
greenhouse and remove any of the remaining leaves. Stop watering. Don't
prune until next spring when new shoots will begin to grow from the base and
all the older wood can be removed. Re-pot immediately.

Greenhouse growing: Any fuchsia can be grown year-round in a greenhouse.

This is essential if species, such as the red-flowering F. triphylla or F.
procumbens, which has a prostrate habit, and yellow flowering tube are to
perform well. Plant them in pots of John Innes compost, or plant them directly
in the ground. Except for the species and triphylla types that need a minimum
winter temperature of 70°C (450°F), most, including the cultivars, can be
successfully overwintered at just 10°C (340°F). If you want the flowers to keep
blooming over winter, a temperature of at least 130°C (550°F) should be
maintained.
Greenhouse humidity, watering, and ventilation: This is best created by
soaking the floor during hot weather using a watering can, and mist-spraying
the plants. Never allow pots to dry out and avoid the full intensity of the midday
sun. Also open greenhouse vents on hot days as fuchsias dislike stagnant air.

Standard fuchsias: Begin by allowing one stem from a young plant to grow
upwards, pinching out the side shoots as they appear. Once the stem has
reached the desired height, allow three pairs of leaves to grow at the top, and
pinch these out to create bushy growth.

Problem solver
Look for attacks of whitefly or greenfly. The bugs can either be manually
squashed or treated with a proprietary spray to control them.

Where to see them

National Collections of Fuchsias:

A Dallas
Croxteth Hall & Country Park
Croxteth Hall Lane, Liverpool
Merseyside L12 OHB
Tel: 0151 228 5311

B Goulding
20 Melford Way
Felixstowe
Suffolk 1P11 2UE
Tel: 01394 273864

RJ Gornall,
Leicester University Botanic Garden
Stoughton Drive South
Oadby, Leicester
Leicestershire LE2 2NE
Tel: 0116 271 2933

RP Gilbert
Silver Dale Nurseries
Shute Lane, Combe Martin
Devonshire EX34 OHT
Tel: 01271 882539

K Muncaster
18 Field Lane
Morton, Gainsborough
Lincolnshire DN21 3BY
Tel: 01427 612329

G Puddefoot
Riverside Fuchsias
Gravel Road
Sutton-at-Hone, Dartford
Kent DA4 9HQ
Tel: 01322 863891

A Simmons
East Lodge
Balmoral, Ballater
Aberdeenshire AB35 5TB
Tel: 01339 742359

The Curator, The RHS

Harlow Carr Botanic Gardens
Crag Lane, Harrogate
Yorkshire HG3 1QB
Tel: 01423 565418

Fuchsia Research International

Margam Country Park
Port Talbot SA13 2TJ
Tel: 01792 893250

D Green
75 Wolfington Road
West Norwood
London SE27 ORH

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