Fuchsia has magnificent flowers that are simply beautiful all summer long.
Key facts about Fuchsia
Name – Fuchsia [“FOO-shya” or /ˈfjuːʃə/]
Family – Onagraceae or Willowherb family
Type – shrub
Height – 8 to 24 inches (20 to 60 cm)
Exposure – part sun or light sun
Soil – ordinary
Foliage – deciduous
Flowering – May to October
Care, pruning and planting must all follow good practices to have your plant bear very nice flowers.
Favor planting in spring taking great care to enrich the soil with soil mix and even soil conditioner such as manure and seaweed if possible.
In areas with mild climates in winter, you can also plant in fall.
Keep a distance of about 32 inches (30 cm) between specimens.
- Fuchsia loves part sun, or even sun if it is well watered or if the soil stays cool.
- It appreciates rather rich and cool soil.
- Propagation through cuttings is relatively easy during the month of August.
Care and pruning of fuchsia plants
Cut wilted flowers off as they die, this favors the appearance of new buds.
In fall, cut back as short as you can in November, and protect the foot of the plant with dried leaf mulch for instance.
- If you fear harsh colds, feel free to add horticultural fleece.
Be careful if you’re growing fuchsia plants and if you live in a region where winters are cold, you must absolutely grow it in a pot and bring it indoors to a shed or space that is cool but where it doesn’t freeze in winter.
Growing fuchsia in pots
Fuchsia in spring and summer
The entire point of growing a plant in a pot is that you’re able to place it anywhere, like a terrace or a balcony.
But the soil usually dries up much faster in a pot than in the ground, and it helps to water regularly, especially in the summer.
It loves light sun but appreciates shade in the summer when temperatures are high.
Fuchsia in fall and winter
The same advice applies as for specimens growing directly in the ground.
Fuchsia plants aren’t hardy and will need to be protected in areas where the temperature consistently drops below 32°F (0°C).
In winter, pots make roots even more vulnerable to the cold and to freezing, and so bringing the plants indoors to a nice cool and sheltered spot until the winter is over is recommended.
Fuchsia or Fuschia?
Indeed, the plant was named in honor of a German doctor and herbalist called Leonhart Fuchs. Fuchs is pronounced “fooks”, similarly to “fox”, the wiley animal. “Fuchs” actually means “fox” in German.
However, most English natives pronounce this flower shrub’s name as “foo-shya”, hence the habitual misspelling. Discover easy tricks to remember the correct spelling – i.e., neither fushia nor fuschia.
Learn more about fuchsia
Over a hundred species belong to the genus, which makes for a wide variety of colors, flowers and leaves.
The important number of species also makes it possible to spread the blooming season.
It bears magnificent flowers shaped like tiny bells which are noticed for their original shape and the brightness of their colors.
Smart tip about fuchsia plants
To stimulate this magnificent blooming, regularly add organic liquid fertilizer designed for geraniums or flowering plants.
Fuchsia on social media
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Credits for images shared to Nature & Garden (all edits by Gaspard Lorthiois):
Dreamy fuchsia (also on social media) by Igor Shubin under Pixabay license
Budding fuchsia by Franz W. under Pixabay license
Pink and purple fuchsia (also on social media) by Rosalyn & Gaspard Lorthiois, own work