We need a Fuchsia Forum!

Hi hummer_girl! I grow it as an annual and bring it in for the winter. I started it from seed last year and it's just coming into bloom now. But all off a sudden the lower leaves all turned yellow and fell off. I think it might need to be divided as I didn't thin out the seedlings so my 'plant' is actually a bunch of smaller ones growing together. I had it in full sun, in a black pot which I recently read is a big no-no as that will burn the roots. So what is the best location for it? Part shade? Filtered light? My back yard in mostly full sun so I'm not sure what to do.

SW_gardener, you could move to the PNW, we grow them in full sun, though, this year is an exception. we've had unusual hot days. I've lost some plants that I was unable to keep everything watered. just kidding about the move. good luck with your fuchsia garden, I'm really liking them right now, Jim

SW_gardener: I looked up your F. boliviana in my Fuchsia book. Here's the scoop:

Height: 12ft
Spread: 3-4ft
Habit: shrub, small tree or climber
Hardiness: z13-15
Flowering: summer to autumn
Vigorous and bushy, this species Fuchsia was introduced from Bolivia in 1876. Listed as a small tree or shrub, it has arching growth with large, dark green, red-veined leaves that are 8" long and covered in downy hairs. It produces tight, drooping clusters of 2" long slender flowers all summer, followed by purple berries. It is best grown in a large pot --its roots must not be cramped-- in a conservatory against a warm, sunny wall. The branches are a strong red when young, aging to brown and developing peeling bark. (Taken from "DK Garden Guides: Fuchsias".)

I believe F. boliviana is in the Triphylla Group.

Unfortunately, the book doesn't have a lot of indepth care info, so I can't say for sure what causes yellowing leaves. Maybe overwatering? I do know Fuchsias do not like wet feet. Maybe it needs some fertilizer? Maybe it's whatever the weather is doing? My Fuchsias do not like extreme heat.

Anyone out there have any ideas?

pbyrley: I love crape myrtles, especially the dark red flowered ones. They aren't hummer attractors, are they? Anyway, here's a pic I took of my F. Gartenmeister earlier this year. How can you not love these plants?

Thanks hummer! A few days ago I moved it away from the back of the house and placed it where it might get a bit of shade from my brugs. We have had alot of rain lately so maybe it's wet feet? Or if theres a bunch of plants growing close to each other they could be cramped? Either way, I'll divide and repot so it can have more room.


I do have another Triphylla as well which I think is 'Gartenmeister Bonstedt'. It seems to take the sun fairly well but the flowers will burn on the side where the sun hits.

hummer_girl , thanks for ID-ing the fuchsia I have! Thus adding to the need for a fuchsia forum! I only have 2 of them, and overwinter them in my sunroom, which is unheated. They tend to lose their leaves and kind of shrivel up, but come spring... look out! They come back healthy & happy every time. (I also have a dusty miller going on 5 years old that I do that with). I don't think I would take the chance on planting them in the ground, even if they were zone 5 hardy. I live in Buffalo, you know what they say about lake effect snow...

I had some limited success growing Fuchsias in hanging pots in Orlando, where they did great in the spring and then as the weather heated up I just couldn't sustain them. I haven't tried them here in VA, simply because I've been so involed in getting garden beds prepared and plunking in whatever was readily available. I got interested in fuchias when I saw them in hanging containers in English villages. They have contests to judge the most beautiful towns and villages, and even the shops in the High Street and village pubs are planted with so many beautiful fuschias, ivy leafed geraniums, in colors window boxes that cascade down the front of old stone or timbered buildings. It's enough to make a gardener cheer. Ironically, I read that they are being banned because workers may get hurt watering the many baskets.

Fuchsias are devided into what they call Sections and there are 12.
From what I've read, Fuchsia tryphylla are in the Section Eufuchsia and Gartenmeister Bonstedt is a cultivar of the species tryphylla.
Fuchsia boliviana, like Fuchsia carymbiflora, are both in the Section Eufuchsia.
I have both of these and am waiting to see them bloom in my garden for the first time.
I often try the berries on my fuchsias, as some species are sold in the fruit markets of south america, and was thrilled to read that carymbiflora is grown for it's fruit! I am looking forward to trying it.
Even though they can both get as big as trees, I bet it could be kept small in a large container, SW_gardener, if you also pruned the roots occasionally like they do with bonsai!
I know I will be keeping mine in 15 gallon containers as soon as they are big enough.
So far though, the best tasting berry is on Fuchsia lycioides ( Section Kierschlegeria). They are small but taste like a cross between a raw blueberry and a grape.
I am SO looking forward to a fuchsia forum!


This message was edited Aug 18, 2009 5:58 PM

Hummer_girl, the hummer's particular favorites among my Fuchsias seem to be Blue Sails and Rose of Castille. They don't seem to care much for the Fuchsia magellanica, the Gartenmeister Bonstedt, or any of the little ones -- perhaps they don't have enough nectar to be interesting. They're also partial to a lot of other plants in my yard -- the bottlebrush tree, Lavenders of various sorts, and the Sky Flower (Duranta). We have a tall urn fountain that also attracts them -- they sit on the edge where the water overflows and attempts to knock them off, and buzz their wings and dip their tail feathers..... We have at least 4 species of hummers here.

I have just started growing fuchsia's as garden plants over the last several years, and I would love to see a forum dedicated to them. They are wonderful in the garden as they tend to start their bloom cycle late in the season, and they are wonderfully colorful when most of the other plants in the garden are over and done with.

I'm interested as I have not grown fuchsia with any success, but am willing to try again.

PedricksCorner, fuchsia berries? I always pinch them so they keep producing flowers. I have seen some turn black and wondered if they were a berry. but didn't know if they were edible or poisoness. I'm sure learning from this almost fuchsia forum. keep posting. thanks, Jim

Yes, yes. Fuchsias are supposed to grow well here, but I don't [yet] have many.

Katie, check out earthworks fuchsias, www.fuchsias.net it's not too far from you. they have over 300 varieties. and lot's of hardy ones. I bought 30 hardy starts last spring for 75 cents each. they're looking well. I'm going mulch them the 1st year. I'll let you know if they winter over. Jim

My Fuchsia Gartenmeister Bonstedt is a big hit with my ruby-throated hummers. I read somewhere that a hummer attracting plant in California may not be a hummer attractor in Missouri, and vice-versa. I don't know why.

I plant my Fuchsias in semi-shady locations in containers or hanging baskets. Eastern exposure or northern. This year I hung a basket in a tree on the west side, but on the north side of the tree with lots of foliage to filter sun. It's doing fine. My Gartenmeister Bonstedt blooms heavily until the heat of July, then it drops all blooms, I prune any emerging seed sprouts, and it goes into a rest period until the heat lets up in late August. I water sparingly but still fertilize when I do with M.C. Bloom Booster. Then a new round of blooms starts up and continues until it gets too cold. This year the reblooming started last week because we are having a cooler summer.

I discovered Fuchsia.net last June. Ordered 10 plants and have already made my list for March 2010. They have really nice plants!

Yesterday I discovered this website: http://www.bonsaigarden.net/sitemap.html
It's all about Fuchsias and has tutorials to help you grow the plants from seeds to cuttings to potting to pests, etc. (Don't let the word "bonsai" fool you, it is all about Fuchsias, even Bonsai Fuchsias, which I didn't even know you could do!) Anyway, I haven't had time to go through everything, but the site comes from England, and it looks very informative.

This message was edited Aug 19, 2009 11:14 AM

Wow, hostajim1, fuchsia starts for only 75 cents and over 300 varieties to choose from, I'd be in heaven!! I currently have 112 varieties and am always on the look out for more uprights. But only uprights. I've got to get myself up to Oregon and Washington to go shopping!
This site will let you know if any of the varieties you bought have been field tested to be winter hardy, and they have good instructions:

http://www.nwfuchsiasociety.com/

Yes, we've all been told to pull the berries off because supposedly leaving them on would slow down the production of new blossoms. But I have never seen that to be true. My bushes are covered with all three. Flower buds, open flowers, and berries in various different states of ripening.
Thanks hummer_girl, I am going to go check out that site! I have also always thought that many of the fuchsias would make great bonsai! When they get older, many of them have really cool bark, which is an important feature in a bonsai.

Here's some propagation info I got from CindyMzone5 in the Propagation Forum:

My 'Gartenmeister' is several years old and I usually do cuttings late winter/early spring every year. They're pretty easy to start from cuttings and aren't fussy at all. Since I want to prune it anyway at the time, it's great to make use of the cuttings.
Remove any remainders of flowers from the previous season since you don't want the plant to try to make seeds. You can use cuttings with 2 or 3 pairs of leaves. Make a nice clean cut (using clean scissors, razor blade or pruners and make sure they're sharp) just below the bottom pair of leaves. Then remove the bottom pair of leaves. I usually dip the bottom in a little water and then into the rooting hormone so the hormone sticks to the cutting better. Using clean pots or 6 packs, fill them with a clean mix (usually sterilized seed starting mix or a mix of perlite and peat moss) that's been slightly dampened (the mixes can be difficult to wet once your cuttings are inserted and this facilitates water absorption). Poke a hole with a skewer or pencil and stick the cuttings in. Use the skewer (or whatever) to push the dirt up around the cutting rather than pressing down with your fingers. You don't want to compress the medium too much. Once planted, I gently water from the top just to settle the mix around the cutting. Future watering can be done from the bottom. Use a clear dome or plastic wrap to keep the humidity in but still allow for some air circulation until they've rooted. Don't let the mix dry out but don't get it too wet either. Under lights, make sure it doesn't get too warm - maybe 75 degrees tops. Keep the lights on for 14 to 16 hours per day. You can pot them up into bigger pots as they grow. I don't start mine much before late January since they're more for putting outdoors in spring (after last frost).


I'm going to try Fuchsia cuttings for the first time this year. Thanks, Cindy, for the tips!

Does anyone have any Fuchsia Books they would reccommend?

oooh, I think I'm in love again after looking at the plants on fuschias.net. Please some of you who are growing cascading and uprights, show us your pictures. I've only grown the cascading kind and they were generally already in bloom when purchased. I didn't realize there were fuschias that could get as big as a Brugmansia. I wanna seeeee.

Here is another trick that works great for many cuttings. Especially if you don't have time to make the cuttings from the pruned material, or time to plant the cuttings right away. I either use gallon size ziplock bags or clear plastic shoe boxes. Just make certain you have misted them all well. For the bags, fill them with your breath (CO2) before sealing them. For the boxes, just breath well onto the material before putting the lid on. If you are careful to replace the air in these containers twice a day and keep things moist, most plant material will stay happy until you have the time to finish.
And some will even root faster after a day or two in this type of container.

Pamgarden, here is my Cardinal, Voodoo, and Magellanica alba. Not the best photo, but it has all three uprights together ;-)

In the Upper Midwest Gardening Forum I received a message from Kathleen about a cold-hardy Fuchsia in her N.Y. garden:

I have a hardy fuchsia that I've had for years
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/123954/
My mother gave a piece. Mine is under a sourwood tree, her's is in a fairly open bed that is shaded by a large maple tree. Both on the south side of our respective houses, but not necessarily in an extremely protected spot. We do get a good snow cover every year.

She's talking about Fuchsia magellanica 'Riccartonii' which is listed as zones 8a-10b in the DG Plant Files, and Kathleen lives in zone 5a!

Kahtleen has added the following info: I forgot to mention that mine is herbaceous. It dies down to the ground every year, so you need to mark it and be patient in the spring, it takes a while for them to come up. They do become noticeably larger, but don't plan on anything 6 feet x 6 feet as some of the pictures from less frigid climes show.

This message was edited Aug 19, 2009 12:19 PM

Wow, Pedrick when I read your email talking about putting them in 15 gallon containers I thought maybe you had them confused with another plant. I had no idea they could get so large or take that much sun. Your humming bird population must be huge...and grateful. Your CA zone 9b is probably dryer than when I had my hanging baskets in Orlando, FL Z9, which was very humid. I know the criteria for a separate forum is a demonstrated broad interest. Perhaps many gardeners here are like me and don't realize how varied and beautiful they are. Are any of them fragrant or is that just askin too much?

PC, thanks, I can use that to double check. I have all of the Fuchsias labeled so if I lose it I'll know it's not hardy. but with some it's worth buying again if you really like the flower. and once in awhile I'll lose and then buy another and it is hardy. Jim

Please please somebody tell me it's possible to nurse fuchsias through our abysmally hot and humid summers here...

Lord I want some hardies so bad but I have the kiss of death for fuchsias :(

Ooh, Jim. Thanks!!

DianaT: go to this website http://www.americanfuchsiasociety.org
They might have the answer for you in their Fuchsia Articles. They are definitely worth a read. I discovered the site yesterday and they have good info in some of the articles about misting Fuchsias because it cools the plant down when its too hot outside, and they confirmed a thought I've had recently that the potting mix for Fuchsias needs to have sharp drainage (more so than I have been doing), and there's advice about fertilizers, and so much more. I've been taken notes furiously!

At the aforementioned website I found out some more info. Go to Fuchsia Articles then click on Specific Fuchsias. There are several articles of interest. Like The First All-American Fuchsia, so named after the U. of Georgia performed tests to see which plants survive the heat & humidity of the deep south. The results were Angels Earrings (trailing) and Dainty Angels Earrings (semi-erect/lax bush form). It is thought one of the parents of the hybrid Earrings is Fuchsia glazioviana which comes from the hot, humid interior of Brazil. Here's what my Fuchsia book says about F. glazioviana:

Height: 20"
Spread: 6'
Habit: Spreading bush
Hardiness: Hardy
Flowering: Summer
This is not a high-octane ornamental and its small, thin pink flowers are rather understated, but it has a touch of the wild about it and is a good plant for a cottage garden. Although very vigorous, it has a casual, relaxed feel and is a welcome change from some of the frillier cultivars. In many areas it will survive outdoors over winter, although a severe frost will damage the topgrowth. New stems will shoot from the base of the plant in spring, but you would be well-advised to protect the crown with a thick layer of shredded bark. (DK Garden Guides: Fuchsias)

From what I have been reading, to have Fuchsias in a Southeast garden, you need to pick plants which have a natural habitat in tropical areas where heat and humidity are the norm.

This message was edited Aug 20, 2009 4:52 PM

The key to growing fuchsias in the heat and humidity is a large and healthy root system. Peferably one that is in the ground and the shade. The roots I mean. Like many other plants, as long as the roots are cool and damp ( but never ever sitting in water), the plant can handle sun, heat, and humidity.
So if they are to be grown in containers, the larger the pot the better. And the higher the quality of potting soil, the better. Yes, good drainage is essential.
They can't grow root systems large enough in hanging baskets, to deal with extremes in heat and humidity. I have seen greenhouses full of wet hanging basket fuchsias all wilted in the heat. Not for me.

I am all for a Fuschia forum. I can't seem to get enough of them. This is one of my favorites "Double Otto"

Azorina, Very lovely and lush. Does it draw hummers?

Great pic, Azorina. And great question, Pamgarden.

If you grow fuchsias and you have hummers, let me know which variety of fuchsia you have that your hummers visit.

My hummers like Lycioides and Magellanica alba the most. They actually hang out in them while they are keeping a look out for trespassers!

Oh I love that lavender one. So pretty.

Thank you all for your answers and encouragement. I'm going to have some fuchsias here one way or another...and thank you for the link! I have some reading up to do :)

Thank you.......I see hummers hanging all over my fuschia bed and they seem to check out all of them. It seems to be interested in any pendulous and bright colored flowers.

The hummers in my garden also seem to favor any flower with long tubular throats, I am assuming those have a store of nectar in them. I have heard that certain colors and bigger flowers get more attention. But when I watch them working one of the bushes covered with little flowers, I figure it must be worth their efforts, or they wouldn't bother. There is plenty to choose from here. I have noticed that they will give the bees the right of way though, ha, ha!
I am looking forward to seeing photos of everyone's fuchsias here! And even more when we get the new forum going.
If you are one of us, please mention this thread to your friends in other forums to get the work out!

Pedrick, your Magellanica alba (it looked slightly lavender on my screen) is fabulous. How tall and wide would you say it is?

I notice that my hummers aren't as fond of some of the things the gardening books say are HB magnets, like Agastaches and passion flower. They do go to flowers, especially the red sages, but I think they are slightly spoiled by the HB feeders, where they act like gluttons. Aren't they wonderful.

My Magellanica alba is decended from a bush growing up to the second story window of a house in Capitola, California in the mid 1980's. They can get huge if allowed to. I keep mine from getting too much higher than the fence so it won't drop spent blossoms onto the gravel driveway of my neighbors who are not gardeners.....
I just pruned it the other day and had to get out the big loppers for the pieces of trunk that were 1.5" across! I love the bark on it, so colorful and flaky.
I also don't let it get too wide because my Cardinal is on one side and my White Wonder is on the other.
Most people don't realize that the bulk of a hummingbirds diet is actually insects!!
They use the nector from the flowers and from the feeders we provide for them, as fuel so that they can fly like that! It takes allot of high octane fuel to do that!
I hand raised a baby hummingbird once, and I know it sounds yucky, but the food was made from pure fructose, dextrose, and powdered fish food to replace the insects mom and dad would have provided.

Here's a Belle of Salem Fuchsia pic I took in June.

And here is a Red Spider Fuchsia pic I also took in June.

Angels Earrings I took today,