Fushia - Cultivation

Cultivation

Fuchsias are popular garden shrubs, and once planted can live for years with a minimal amount of care. The British Fuchsia Society maintains a list of "hardy" fuchsias that have been proven to survive a number of winters throughout Britain and to be back in flower each year by July. Enthusiasts report that hundreds and even thousands of hybrids survive and prosper throughout Britain. In the United States, the Northwest Fuchsia Society maintains an extensive list of fuchsias that have proven hardy in members' gardens in the Pacific Northwest over at least three winters.

Fuchsias from sections Quelusia (F. magellanica and its variants, F. regia, etc.), encliandra (some encliandra hybrids flower continuously), Skinnera (F. excorticata, F. perscandens) and Procumbentes (F. procumbens is suitable as a groundcover) have especially proven to be hardy in widespread areas of Britain and Ireland, as well as in many other countries such as New Zealand (aside from its native species) or the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. A number of species will easily survive outdoors in agreeable mild temperate areas. Though some may not always flower in the average British summer, they will often perform well in other favorable climatic zones. Even in somewhat colder regions, a number of the hardier species will often survive as herbaceous perennials, dying back and reshooting from below ground in the spring.

Due to the favorably mild, temperate climate created by the North Atlantic Current, fuchsias grow abundantly in the West Cork region of Ireland and are associated with the area to such an extent that a local branding initiative uses the fuchsia flower as their logo. For similar reasons fuchsias grow abundantly in the Scilly Isles, and have even colonised wild areas. While F. magellanica is not wide spread in Scotland it has been know to grow wild in sheltered areas, it can been seen growing self set seedlings along the banks of a stream (burn) that runs through Cambo gardens in Fife. In the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, F. magellanica also easily survives regional winters.

In horticultural usage, it is common to refer to fuchsias as either Upright, or Trailing, by their growth pattern, although some may be grown as either. Some more vigorous varieties of fuchsia can be trained as hedges (F magellanica, F. magellanica 'Riccartonii') and do particularly well in coastal areas. A popular practice is to train fuchsias as standards; this can be done with the faster-growing varieties.