Delicate and beautiful, fuchsia plants are treasured by gardeners around the globe. While regrettably too short-lived to be useful as a cut flower, we can still enjoy these beauties in living arrangements or in the garden. Depending on the species and on where this flower is grown, you can find it on trellises, curving from hanging baskets or pots or even trained into tree form.
In the wild, fuchsias grow as shrubs, although there is one species, F. excorticata that grows as a not insignificantly-sized tree in New Zealand. The more common species we know and love are typically shrubs that grow anywhere from 8 inches to 8 feet or more.
The classic fuchsia colour is just one of this plant’s many shades. Fuchsias also come in red, orange, yellow, purples, white and even green. You’ll find varieties with single, semi-double or double blooms, often bi-coloured.
You can, in theory, eat the fruit. The internet reports that the fruit tastes like citrus with a hint of pepper, but I can not confirm that. Fuchsia is an entirely edible plant, however, so you can use both flowers and leaves in your summer salads.
We could all be forgiven for thinking that the fuchsia gets its name from its vibrant pink hue. It’s sort of the other way around, though. The plant is actually named after German botanist Leonard Fuchs. When Charles Plumier wrote about it for the first time at the end of the 17th century, he named it after the illustrious 16th century botanist. The name of the colour followed.
History, however, is not what you’re here for. Let’s talk about how to care for these gorgeous blooms.
Choosing Fuchsia Plants
With over 100 species and thousands of cultivars to choose from, fuchsia is such a varied and versatile plant that you’ll have to pick more than just the colour. Although you’ll also have a great deal of fun picking the colour.
Fuchsias come in a few different types: upright, trailing and climbing. If you have hanging baskets or need something to spill over the edges of your containers or window boxes, trailing varieties are your friend. Upright fuchsias are more suited for borders and patio containers. Climbing fuchsias, of course, are showstopping in vertical gardens and on trellises, walls and fences.
If you’re factoring bloom season into your choice, know that you almost don’t need to. One of the big draws of this flower is its lengthy flowering season, generally lasting from spring to the final frost. In areas that see hot, sunny summers, your fuchsia could take a break from flowering, however, and get back to it when the temperatures cool.
Growing Your Own Fuchsias
Most people purchase fuchsias as nursery plants. If you want to grow fuchsias yourself, however, they’re very easy to multiply from cuttings. You can take lengthier cuttings in fall or spring, when the plant isn’t in flower, or take tip cuttings off of non-flowering shoots in spring or early summer.
Choose a spot just below a leaf joint and cut with a sharp knife. Then remove any lower leaves or other shoots—your cuttings should have just a single (or two) pairs of leaves.
Use a rooting medium of 50% compost and 50% perlite or vermiculite. Place the cuttings in the rooting medium (with or without dipping the end of your cutting in a rooting hormone first). Water well, and keep in bright, indirect light in a warm location for at least a few weeks. Then repot.
If you don’t care whether your new fuchsia plant is an exact copy of the parent plant, you can also grow fuchsia from seed. Since they hybridize easily, seeds will likely result in different coloured flowers.
If that sounds like adventure to you, you can harvest the seeds from the fruit. Let them dry overnight and then plant right away, or fully dry them and store them until next season.
How to Care for Your Fuchsia Plants
Fuchsias are a bit more high-maintenance than some other types of flowers, which seems only fitting, given their showy, high-impact appearance. There are hardy varieties that can be grown as perennials up to Zone 6. If you live in a colder climate, you’ll be growing these as annuals or bringing them inside to overwinter.
Here’s how to provide the best care for them in any case.
Sunlight
Indirect or dappled light is ideal for fuchsias. While they can tolerate anywhere from sun to partial shade, many species do not love the heat. Try to plant your fuchsias such that they get morning sun and afternoon shade—they like to have shelter from the hottest part of the day.
Water
They need good drainage around their roots, but like the soil to be kept moist. You can expect to water these plants daily if you keep them in containers or baskets, possibly more if the weather is quite hot. If you see signs of wilting, it’s time to water.
Soil
A rich but well-drained soil is essential for these plants. While they prefer a slightly acidic soil (pH 6-7) they can tolerate a range, as long as they don’t get waterlogged. The bigger issue for fuchsias in terms of soil is heat. They dislike hot soil, so if yours are located somewhere where the temperature will rise, consider adding a layer of mulch to keep your plants’ roots cool.
Other Care Tips
These plants can use the occasional fertilizer treatment every few weeks. For more prolific blooming, try a bloom-boosting fertilizer every week.
Pinch your fuchsia blossoms back after they die off to encourage new growth and blooms. You can prune entire branches back once they’re done flowering. Hardy fuchsias should be pruned back in the spring.
To overwinter them, bring them in when it’s time to move plants indoors and then allow plants to go dormant. Keep them someplace cool and dark. Water them only occasionally (every 3-4 weeks is enough). Note: your fuchsia will not look good at this point, but that is fine. It is dormant.
In spring, trim the plant back and move it to a window or other spot where it can get indirect light but not too much direct sun. Step up your watering again. After the last frost date, you can start to acclimate your fuchsia to the outdoors again by leaving it in a shady outdoor spot during the day and bringing it in at night, to start.
Have fun exploring this wonderful genus—they might be a bit on the fussier side, but they’ll more than repay you for your efforts.
Feature image: endro lewa; Image 1: Marjon Besteman; Image 2: cottonbro
