Ornamental · Onagraceae
Fuchsia
Fuchsia × hybrida
Give it cool shade and steady moisture, and the fuchsia hangs out dangling, two-tone flowers all season.
Partial shade
Every 2–4 days
59–70°F · 15–21°C
USDA 10–11
Overview
Few plants flower like a fuchsia in full swing. The dangling blooms, often in two contrasting colors, hang like little eardrops from the stems, which is exactly how the plant earned its old name of lady's eardrops. Most garden fuchsias are hybrids grown for that show, whether trained upright or left to spill from a hanging basket.
This is a shade lover at heart. Fuchsias come into their own in cool, part-shaded spots and sulk in heat, so they reward gardeners who can give them a sheltered corner out of the hot afternoon sun. Treat them well and they bloom from spring right through fall.
Most gardeners grow fuchsia as an annual or pull it under cover for winter, though the hardy types can stay in the ground where winters are mild. Either way the plant is a heavy drinker and a heavy feeder, and it pays back the attention with months of flowers.
Care
The short version: cool part to full shade, soil kept evenly moist and never bone dry, a balanced feed every two weeks through the growing season, and shelter from hot afternoon sun and wind.
Light
Give a fuchsia part to full shade, the cooler the better. It also takes bright indirect light well, but hot afternoon sun scorches the leaves and stops the flowers, so a sheltered, shaded spot is what you're after.
Water
Keep the soil consistently moist and never let it dry out, since fuchsias wilt fast when thirsty. Plants in containers and hanging baskets dry quickly and need frequent watering plus shelter from drying wind. Ease off the water in fall to help the plant settle toward dormancy.
Soil
Plant in rich, moisture-retentive loam with plenty of organic matter worked in. A slightly acidic pH of 5.5 to 6.5 suits them, and soil that holds water without turning soggy keeps the roots happy.
Temperature
Fuchsias want it cool, ideally 59°F to 70°F (15°C to 21°C). Once the average daily temperature passes 76°F (24°C) the flowers stop, so summer heat is the main thing working against you.
Humidity
These plants like the air on the damp side, around 50% to 70% humidity. Dry air stresses them and invites spider mites, so a sheltered, slightly humid spot beats an open, baking one.
Feeding
Fuchsias are heavy feeders. Give a soluble, balanced complete fertilizer every two weeks right through the growing season to keep the steady run of flowers coming.
Pruning
Pinch out new shoots after they make two full sets of leaves to push the plant to branch and bush out, then stop pinching about a month before the first frost. With hardy types, cut them back in mid-March once the danger of a freeze has passed.
Repotting
Move potted fuchsias into fresh mix every spring. Roots circling the pot, soil that dries out almost as soon as you water, and stalled growth all tell you the plant has outgrown its container.
Size & spacing
Most plants reach 1.5 to 3 feet (46 to 91 cm) tall and spread 12 to 24 inches (30 to 61 cm) wide. Give each one enough room that air moves freely around the leaves, which keeps rust and mildew at bay.
When to plant
Fuchsias run on cool weather, not the calendar's idea of summer. Start cuttings indoors in early spring, set plants out after the last frost once nights stay above freezing, and enjoy flowers from spring through fall, with a lull when midsummer heat sets in.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Sow: Cuttings rooted indoors in early spring; seed germinates in 21-28 days at 70-75°F
- Plant: After the last spring frost when nights stay above freezing
- Harvest: Spring through fall, slowing in summer heat
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 10–11
Temperature: down to -1°C
Troubleshooting
Most fuchsia trouble traces back to heat or to a handful of common pests and a fungus or two. Watch the flowers and the undersides of the leaves, since that's where the early signs turn up. Match what you see below and act before it spreads.
Twisted, thickened shoots with lumpy galls and reddened leaves
This is the fuchsia gall mite, a pest too small to see that warps the growing tips and flowers into swollen, distorted galls. Cut off and destroy every infested part, then treat with horticultural oil or insecticidal soap every 2 to 3 weeks. Isolate the plant and clean your tools, hands, and clothing, because the mite spreads easily from plant to plant.
Fix:
- Remove and destroy all infested plant parts
- Apply horticultural oil or insecticidal soap at 2-3 week intervals
- Isolate infested plants and clean tools, hands, and clothing
Blooms stall and buds drop once the weather turns hot
Fuchsias are cool-weather bloomers, and flowering shuts down once the average daily temperature climbs past 76°F (24°C). The plant isn't dying, just waiting out the heat. Move containers somewhere shadier and cooler, keep the soil evenly moist, and the flowers come back as fall brings the temperatures down.
Fix:
- Move containers to a cooler, shadier location
- Keep soil evenly moist
- Provide protection from hot afternoon sun and wind
Rusty orange powder on the undersides of the leaves
Those powdery pustules are fuchsia rust, a fungus that settles on the lower leaf surface while the top may show yellow spots. Strip off and destroy the affected leaves, open the plant up so air moves through it, and keep water off the foliage when you water.
Fix:
- Remove and destroy affected leaves
- Improve air circulation
- Avoid wetting foliage when watering
Sticky leaves, sooty mold, and a cloud of tiny white insects
Whiteflies are the usual culprit, flying up in a cloud when you shake the foliage and leaving behind sticky honeydew that turns to black sooty mold. Aphids and spider mites can do the same, the first curling the leaves and the second stippling them with fine webbing. Rinse the plant with water, treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil, and repeat to break the breeding cycle.
Fix:
- Rinse foliage with water
- Apply insecticidal soap or horticultural oil
- Repeat applications to break the life cycle
Toxicity
Good news on this one: fuchsia is safe all round. The ASPCA lists it as non-toxic to cats, dogs, and horses, no part of the plant carries a poison, and the small dark berries are even edible for people. You can plant it without worrying about pets, livestock, or curious children.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats None
Fuchsia is on the ASPCA's non-toxic list, so a cat that nibbles a leaf or flower has nothing to worry about. A big mouthful of any plant can still bring on a brief stomach upset, but there's no poison here.
Dogs None
Safe for dogs. The ASPCA clears fuchsia for them, and even the berries pass harmlessly, though a dog that gorges on foliage may have loose stools for a day.
Horses None
No concern for horses. Fuchsia carries no toxins that affect them, so a curious bite while grazing past a hanging basket does no harm.
Rabbits None
Rabbits can browse fuchsia without risk. The leaves and flowers are safe, and the small berries are edible too.
Livestock None
Grazing animals like goats, sheep, and cattle are fine around fuchsia. There's no toxic compound in any part of the plant to trouble them.
Birds None
Birds happily eat the ripe berries, and the plant poses no danger to them. Wild birds often strip the fruit before you get to it.
People None
Every part of the fuchsia is safe for people, and the dark little berries are genuinely edible, with a mild, sometimes peppery sweetness. Pick them fully ripe for the best flavor.
Varieties
Garden fuchsias come in hundreds of named hybrids, but they sort into a few groups worth knowing before you buy.
Gartenmeister
A triphylla hybrid with coral-red tubular flowers over dark bronze-green leaves that takes summer heat better than most fuchsias.
Hardy fuchsia (Fuchsia magellanica types)
Tougher, shrubbier plants that can stay in the ground and overwinter outdoors through milder winters.
Trailing or basket types
Weeping forms whose stems spill over the rim of a hanging basket, unlike the upright shrubs that stand 1 to 2 feet (30 to 60 cm) tall.
How to propagate
Fuchsias are simple to multiply, and cuttings are the only reliable way to keep a hybrid exactly as it is.
Stem cuttingsEasy
Spring or late summer using softwood cuttings about 6 inches long · Roots typically form in 2-4 weeks
Take softwood cuttings about 6 inches (15 cm) long in spring or late summer, and they root in 2 to 4 weeks. This is the way to go with fuchsias, because the hybrid cultivars don't come true from seed and only a cutting carries the exact flower and form of the parent plant.
Myths
Fuchsia berries are poisonous to people and pets.
The opposite is true. The ASPCA lists fuchsia as non-toxic to cats, dogs, and horses, and the dark little berries are safe and edible for people, with a mild peppery sweetness when fully ripe.
Fuchsias grow best in full sun.
Fuchsias are shade lovers, not sun worshippers. They flower best in part to full shade with cool temperatures, and a hot afternoon spot works against you, since heat above 76°F (24°C) shuts the blooms down altogether.