1 Fuchsia in General and Species in Particular
By Peter O'Hara

FUCHSIAS,for all their beauty,are relatively easy to grow. And, providing a few rules are followed, both species fuchsias and hybrids can make a statement in the garden.

Because fuchsias flower on the current year's growth, they can be pruned to fit any site and still make a good show. They have a long-flowering season, limited only by the onset of cold weather.
For good results, fuchsias need a friable, free-draining soil with plenty of organic matter, adequate soil moisture during the growing period and protection from full sun in the hottest part of the day. Fuchsias are frequently described as shade-loving, but they actually need plenty of light to do well. The ideal site would get morning sun and dappled light for the rest of the day. The more sun they get, the more water they will need. Mulching to keep the root run moist and cool will cut down the watering needed.

Fuchsias are not frost hardy. Severe frost will cut them down to ground level, but they usually bounce back from the crown once the soil warms. Good drainage is essential for survival -cold and wet are a lethal combination.

The fuchsias here have been selected because they are relatively hardy, have a long flowering season, are attractive even when not in flower.

Fuchsia arborescens (1)
This is a rounded shrub with dark green glossy leaves. It grows into a small tree if left unpruned, but can be kept smaller by pinching the tips of growing stems and lightly pruning after flowering has finished. Sometimes called the lilac bush, its lilac-coloured flowers develop from the ends of stems as masses, or inflorescences, of small flowers that cover the whole bush. Flowering starts in spring and continues into summer. Fertilised flowers - bees love them - may develop into round edible berries that look like a black grape when ripe.

This fuchsia will tolerate a lot of sun. It is frost-sensitive, but covering with frost cloth will protect it reasonably well.

Fuchsia panniculata
This is a closely related species and they are quite hard to tell apart - it takes an expert. They are often confused
.
Fuchsia boliviana (2)
Left to its own devices, Fuchsia boliviana is a tall-growing shrub, but it can be kept shorter by pinching out the growing tips. The leaves are large, elongated and a soft green due a covering of soft hairs. Even without flowers, this fuchsia makes a bold statement.

There are two forms of flower. The type species has dark red tubular flowers that develop progressively from a pendulous stem. Fertilised flowers are replaced by fruit all on the one stem. F. boliviana var. alba (3) has an identical growth habit, but the flower tubes are white and the sepals pink.

Flowering usually starts in late spring and can continue for months in frost-free areas.

F. boliviana needs more shade than F. arborescens. The leaves will burn in hot sun. It will do well in a mixed border where it gets shelter from sun and wind. Frost sensitive.

Fuchsia magellanica (4 & 5)
The so-called hardy fuchsia is the ancestor of many of the cultivars seen today. Because of its origin in southern Argentina and Chile, it is more tolerant of cold than most other species or cultivars.
There are a number of varieties of this species, but the two that are most commonly grown are F. magellanica var. gracilis and F. magellanica var. alba.

F. magellanica var. gracilis is typically a multi-stemmed shrub growing 2m tall (or more if left unpruned). The graceful arching branches carry small leaves along their length and the flowers grow from the leaf axils on relatively long, pendulous stems. The numerous flowers are small with red tubes and sepals. The purple petals tend to be hidden by the overhanging long sepals. There is also a form with a variegated leaf.

F. magellanica var. alba (6) has a similar habit. Its flowers resemble the red variety in form, but are pale lilac to almost white depending on how much light they get.

F. magellanica can be trimmed to form a hedge. It should be pruned in spring (after the last frost) to encourage new growth, which will bear the season's flowers.

This species, especially the alba form, is susceptible to fuchsia rust and needs to be sprayed with a fungicide as a preventive measure.

Fuchsia denticulata (7)
An upright, multi-stemmed shrub with dark green elongated leaves. Young stems are red and the flowers grow in succession of buds and mature flowers in bunches at the ends of the current season's stems. The flower is tubular and exhibits an array of colours. The tube is a rosy red, the sepals almost white with green tips and the petals scarlet.

This species will adapt to drier locations by developing tuberous roots.
Fuchsia procumbens (8)
One of the three (or four, depending on which theory you subscribe to) New Zealand native fuchsia species, Fuchsia procumbens is a prostrate, multi-branched shrub that sprawls and acts as a dense ground cover. It will develop roots on branches in contact with soil, so layering is the easiest way to propagate this fuchsia.

The leaves are almost round and may be a bright green in the type variety, or mottled green and white in the naturally occurring variegated form.

The flowers are unique among fuchsias because the tube is yellow (we are still waiting for the first yellow cultivar). The sepals are green, with a purple tip folded down against the tube, and the pollen is blue. Flowers are small but numerous. When fertilised, they turn red and are eventually replaced by plum-like pink fruit that is disproportionately large considering the size of the leaves and flowers.

F. procumbens will do very well in a moist area which gets some protection from the summer sun. The size of the leaves varies according to the amount of light the plant is getting - smaller where light levels are high.

Fuchsia fulgens (9)
This plant makes a rather untidy shrub, but the large bright green leaves and orange flowers can be used to make a statement in a mixed border where it gets some shade and protection from wind. Like F. boliviana, F. fulgens needs more shade than the other species described.

The flowers grow from the ends of the stems in a succession of buds, mature flowers and fruit. The flowers are tubular, up to 100mm long - the tube is a rosy pink, the sepals pale with green tips and the petals bright red.

Peter O'Hara

F.procumbens fruit

TAKING CUTTINGS (Click on thumbnails for larger view)

Fuchsia species can be grown from a range of softwood and hardwood cuttings, but the easiest and most successful are those grown from the growing tips of stems. They can be taken at any time of year, but the best times are spring and autumn.

" Select growing tips with at least three pairs of leaves and
no flowers. Remove flower stems and buds if present.
" Make a clean cut below the third pair of leaves and remove
these leaves close to the main stem. Trim the remaining
leaves to reduce water loss through transpiration.
" Insert the cuttings in coarse propagating sand and put the
container in a warm place in plenty of light but not direct sunlight. Rooting hormone is not necessary but is helpful for autumn cuttings.Keeping the sand at about 15°C is ideal.
" Mist cuttings regularly with water. You can put them under a clear plastic cover to maintain humidity, but watch out for grey mould (botrytis).
" When the roots have formed - 3 to 6 weeks, or longer depending on the temperature - transfer the rooted cuttings to a good-quality potting mix in a small pot. Do not overpot.
" Keep pots in the same warm, well-lit conditions.
" Special care is needed over the winter months. Cold, wet feet and
frost are lethal.

Peter O'Hara