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Fuchsia fulgens
Onagraceae FAMILY

Fuchsia fulgens

Fuchsia fulgens

Edibility
3/5
Medicinal
0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitDeciduous Shrub
Growth—

The top-growth of Fuchsia fulgens can only tolerate occasional light frosts. The tuberous rootstock, however, being protected by the soil, is rather more tolerant, especially when growing in a well-drained soil and protected by an organic mulch. The plant can usually be grown outdoors in the mildest parts of the temperate zone and, even when the top-growth is cut back by frosts, it usually regrows in the spring, flowering and fruiting in the summer[1, PFAF]. An easily grown plant and very free-flowering when in warm, sunny, humid conditions and a rich well-drained soil[2]. Succeeds in any fertile well-drained circum-neutral soil[3]. Succeeds in a good loam if leafmold and sand are added[4]. Plants have a tuberous rootstock[1], and if cut back by frost will often regenerate from the roots. The roots can be dug up and stored overwinter in a cool dry but frost-free location and then planted out again in the spring[5]. Plants tolerate being left dry and leafless in the winter[2]. Fuchsia species flower and fruit mainly on new wood produced in the same growing season. Any pruning, therefore, is best carried out at the start of the growing season, cutting out old wood in order to encourage vigorous new growth[3]. Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[6]. A good bee plant[7]. This species is a parent of many ornamental cultivated greenhouse varieties[4]. Plants are very susceptible to whitefly[5].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe[3] though it can also be sown in the spring[4]. Surface sow the seed in pots in a warm greenhouse and do not allow the compost to dry out[3]. Germination should take place in less than 6 weeks. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle, and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Inter-nodal cuttings of greenwood, 5 - 8cm long, May/early summer in a frame. Quick and easy, a high percentage take[8, PFAF]. Overwinter in the greenhouse for the first year and plant out after the last expected frosts. Inter-nodal cuttings of half-ripe wood, mid summer in a frame. Very quick and easy, treat as greenwood cuttings above[PFAF]. Cuttings usually succeed at any time during the growing season[PFAF]. Division of tubers in the spring[5]. Dig up the plant as it comes into active growth and pot up the tubers with their growing stems. Grow them on in the greenhouse until established and plant them out in early summer. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Fuchsia+fulgens>

Pollinators

Insects

References

  1. [1]The Milder Garden. — Taylor. J. · Dent · 1990 ↩︎A good book on plants that you didn't know could be grown outdoors in Britain.
  2. [2]Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2 — Phillips. R. & Rix. M. · Pan Books, London. · 1998 · ISBN 0-330-37376-5 ↩︎Excellent photos of over 1,100 species and cultivars with habits and cultivation details plus a few plant uses. Many species are too tender for outdoors in Britain though there are many that can be grown outside.
  3. [3]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  4. [4]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
  5. [5]The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers — Brickell. C. · Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. · 1990 · ISBN 0-86318-386-7 ↩︎Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.
  6. [6]Perennial Garden Plants — Thomas. G. S. · J. M. Dent & Sons, London. · 1990 · ISBN 0 460 86048 8 ↩︎A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.
  7. [7]Garden Plants Valuable to Bees. — International Bee Research Association. · International Bee Research Association. · 1981 · ISBN - ↩︎The title says it all.
  8. [8]Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. — Sheat. W. G. · MacMillan and Co · 1948 · ISBN - ↩︎A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
  9. [9]Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden Vol. 69 — Missouri Botanical Garden · 1982 ↩︎An excellent botanical publication, available for download from the Internet. This volume contains a treatment of section Fuchsia in the Genus Fuchsia.
  10. [10]Tanaka's Cyclopedia of Edible Plants of the World. — Tanaka. T. & Nakao S. · Keigaku Publishing; Tokyo · 1976 · ISBN - ↩︎The most comprehensive list of edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.
  11. [11]Plants for Human Consumption. — Kunkel. G. · Koeltz Scientific Books · 1984 · ISBN 3874292169 ↩︎An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of Latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
  12. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎