GARDENER'S READING ROOM
Annuals
Perennials

How Do You Spell F*U*C*H*S*I*A?

Any way that you spell it, this group of plants is fabulous in many varying situations. Are you looking for a colorful sun lover for your container? Do your hanging baskets need something to brighten a deck or porch? Want a hardy perennial to come back year after year? Or how ‘bout a beautiful foliage plant giving tropical color to a pot in the shade? The various types of fuchsias are versatile enough to meet many needs. Here’s an explanation of what’s growing now in the way of fuchsias.

The newest introductions are the sun fuchsias. These compact upright plants are hardy annuals that grow 10-18” high. They are loaded with a profusion of upright blooms. Tolerant of sun (no reflected heat, please), they are useful for adding height among trailing container accents.

The hanging basket or trailing type of fuchsia is the one we all know and love. How many of us have watched hummingbirds come to their nectar-laden blossoms? Valued for adding color to a shady lanai (or anywhere there is dappled light), they will bloom up until frost. Cut back and stored in a cool, frost-free location through the winter, they will come back for your enjoyment the next year.

Another group, the hardy fuchsias, will grow as true perennials (when well rooted). These fuchsias range from small and compact to over five feet tall! Blossoms of white, lavender, purple, pink, red, orange, or bicolor can be petite or large, single or double. Most start blooming mid-summer and continue into fall.

And for that shady location where some height (18-24”) is needed, choose a Gartenmeister fuchsia. Beautiful bronze leaves and tropical salmon-colored tubular flowers make this plant lovely - particularly accented by white impatiens or trailing bacopa!

So become familiar with the type of fushia - fuschia - er, FUCHSIA you need. Give it fertile soil and even moisture and you’ll see why fuchsias are for everyone.

By Heather Small
Skylights Spring/Summer 2007, Vol 22, No. 2

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