How to Grow Fuchsia: Planting, Care, and Bloom Tips

Close-up of pink fuchsia in a white container
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N. Mamashka/Shutterstock
Botanical Name
Fuchsia spp.
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Planting, Growing, and Caring for Fuchsia Plants

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With their vibrant, dangling blooms and graceful arching stems, fuchsias add instant charm to hanging baskets and shady corners. A favorite of hummingbirds and gardeners alike, these colorful plants are surprisingly easy to care for—with just a few simple tips, you can keep your fuchsias blooming from spring through fall. Whether you’re growing them in containers or as trailing garden accents, discover everything you need to know to make fuchsia flowers flourish!

This beauty isn’t high maintenance, but you do need to know its growing requirements. Learn how to grow and care for fuchsia plants and keep those blooms coming!

About Fuchsias 

Fashion fades but style remains, and fuchsia (FEW-shuh) oozes style, with its spectacularly elegant and exotic jewel-tone pendulous flowers that look more like handcrafted silk than nature’s handiwork. 

Often featuring bicolor bell-shaped flowers, fuchsias come in various colors, but most often in gorgeous bright reds, pinks, and salmons, with white or purple centers. The flower’s outer portion comprises colored sepals, which protect the inner petals and reproductive parts.

The dark green leaves are typically oval-shaped, with a pointed tip and dispersed alternately along the stem.

Fuchsias are a favorite for hummingbirds, who are attracted to the colors and long bell-shaped flowers that hang and droop beautifully from hanging baskets, containers, and planters. The blossoms are also beloved by other pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and moths. Fuchsia plants can be bushy or vining and trailing.

Many fuchsias will slow or stop blooming when temperatures rise above 80°F, but some heat-loving varieties are available.

Red and purple fuchsia flowers sprawling out of a hanging basket.
Fuchsia in a hanging basket. Credit: Sakss

History

The plant was discovered in Hispaniola (today, the island of the Dominican Republic and Haiti) and described by French friar and botanist Charles Plumier (1646–1704) in the 1690s. He chose the genus name to honor 16th-century German botanist Leonhard Fuchs (1501–66). However, this semitropical-to-tropical gem was not cultivated and propagated in Europe for nearly a century. 

In 1788, fuchsia was introduced to England’s Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, where a nurseryman was able to reproduce several hundred plants from cuttings. Botanists and growers across Europe discovered, hybridized, and multiplied new species and varieties in the ensuing years. As they shared their plant stocks and knowledge in colorful catalogs, the demand for ever-different forms and flower hues for public gardens and private properties exploded. 

Today, more than 100 species are known, and thousands of cultivars have been developed (although not all of these may be available or easily acquired). A member of the evening primrose family (Onagraceae), fuchsia is native to Central and South America; three species, including a tree form, are indigenous to New Zealand.

Are Fuchsias Perennials or Annuals?

While fuchsias are grown as perennial garden flowers in mild climates worldwide, they are treated as a cool-season plant used as an annual, primarily as potted flowering plants and in hanging baskets in the United States and Canada.

That said, fuchsia can survive over winter by storing it in the winter at 40°F. While in storage, water once a month, and then, in February, cut back to the woody sections to promote new growth in spring.

Planting

Where to Plant Fuchsias

Fuchsias are considered part-shade plants, which is an excellent opportunity for gardeners; however, they do need at least 4 hours of light to bloom—either dappled sunlight all day or direct morning sun. They prefer summer temperatures below 85°F and cool nights. So those in southern locations should place their fuchsias in a spot with afternoon shade or even all-day protection.

However, fuchsias are not too fussy if their moisture needs are met and the soil does not get soggy wet nor bone dry. Neutral to slightly acidic pH is fine, in the 6.0 to 7.0 range. Most commercially available potting mixes are close to neutral pH already. If you are filling your containers from a bag and not mixing your own, chances are your soil will be fine.

A delicate stem of fuchsia with a handful of bell-shaped flowers in focus
Red and purple fuchsia up close. Credit: Tohuwabohu

When to Plant Fuchsias

Fuchsias like cool temperatures and can be planted in spring as soon as night temperatures stabilize above about 40°F. They grow best in the cool nights and temperate days of late spring and early summer.

How to Plant Fuchsias

Choose an area that has plenty of shade and partial sunlight, filtered if possible. The area will need to have well-draining soil. 

Prepare the soil by adding compost or organic matter and mixing it well.

Dig a small hole that is just a bit bigger than the root ball of your plant and place it gently in. Loosen the roots if they are tangled before putting them in the ground.

Fill the hole with soil and gently press down around the plant, and then water it thoroughly so the soil is moist. At this point you could also add a layer of mulch around the base to protect it and stop any weeds from coming through.

If your fuchsia is destined for a hanging basket, fill it with potting mix and some organic material to retain moisture.

  • A wooden or fiber pot will not dry out as quickly as a clay pot and will allow the plant to breathe.
  • Make sure your container has drainage holes. Fuchsias don’t like to sit in water, even though they want their soil slightly moist.
  • If your planter is large enough, tuck in two or three fuchsias to make a luscious and overflowing planter display.
  • Those in warmer locations can also grow fuchsias as outdoor perennials. Like a planter, select a site with dappled sunlight or light shade, and ensure you provide adequate drainage.
  • Mulching will go a long way toward keeping the soil around your fuchsia at a more even moisture level and keeping the soil surface cooler.

Propagating 

Fuchsia can be grown from seeds or stem tip cuttings; the latter is the easier method, as the former can take up to 4 months. Cuttings can be taken in spring (before flowers appear) or fall (these plants tend to bloom sooner than spring-rooted ones). 

Prepare containers with a seed-starting mix or use equal parts sand, perlite, and peat moss; moisten the medium. Cut off a green branch that is up to 6 inches long and has three pairs of leaves. Remove the bottom pair and dip the cut end into rooting hormone (if using, but not necessary). 

Insert the cutting into the medium up to the next leaves. Cover loosely with clear plastic and set in a warm, bright spot out of direct sun. Fall-rooted cuttings do not need a cover and prefer a cool (45° to 50°F), bright environment. 

Water enough to prevent wilting; avoid getting the leaves wet. When new leaf growth appears (in 3 to 4 weeks), lift the seedling and transplant it to a container. 

Growing

  • Containers need to be watered, usually once a day. Water when the surface of the growing medium becomes dry or hot, but don’t let the soil become soggy. Keeping soil evenly moist in a hanging basket can be difficult. Add some compost to your potting mix, and check them daily, especially if the basket hangs under an overhang from a roof or porch.
  • Fuchsias are heavy feeders. If you’re growing fuchsia in a container and watering frequently, you must fertilize, as watering leaches nutrients. In the spring, fertilize every 2 weeks with a water-soluble, complete fertilizer at half-strength; once the plants set buds, water with a “bloom” formula. Stop fertilizing in the fall at least 2 weeks before you anticipate bringing the plant indoors.
  • Deadheading your fuchsia will provide more blooms, allowing the plant to focus energy on flowering instead of making berries and seeds. If the flower has dropped off and the little green berry is left behind, pinch that off too.
  • If your fuchsia is wilting, dropping flowers, or the tips of the leaves are turning brown, it could be due to underwatering. But do not water a wilted plant midday if the soil is still wet, as this suffocates the roots!
Close up of pink and white fuchsia flowers with a background of vibrant green leaves
Pink and white fuchsia flowers. Credit: Irene Miller

Overview of Requirements

  • Light - These plants don’t like a lot of direct sunlight; keep them in shady spots unless they’re indoor plants. Indoor plants will need a bit of indirect sunlight. They will need a small amount of morning sunlight for the best bloom, so choose a part-shady spot for your outdoor plants.
  • Soil - You’ll need a well-draining, moist soil with plenty of organic matter. Add peat moss or compost before planting to encourage growth. Soil should be slightly acidic to neutral.
  • Water - Fuchsia needs plenty of water to keep the soil moist, but you don’t want it to be soggy. They thrive in humidity. Any plants kept in a container will need daily watering. Overwatering and underwatering these plants is not great, so stick to a routine.
  • Temperature - These plants grow best in temperatures between 55° and 80°F, although there are varieties that will do well in temperatures up to 90°F. They typically don’t do well in extreme heat or drought. In hot, dry areas, the plants will struggle to bloom. If you’re predicting or experiencing a hot summer, make a backup plan to shelter your plants.
  • Fertilizer - Fuchsia need routine feeding, as they are heavy feeders! Feed container plants regularly with liquid fertilizer. Outdoor beds would be better served by slow-releasing fertilizers, fish emulsion, or seaweed. Cut back on fertilizing as you enter winter. 

Overwintering Fuchsias

  • Fuchsias in a container or basket can be brought inside to overwinter. Bring the pot in before the first fall frost and store it in an unheated basement or other unlit area where the temperature will remain about 45° to 55°F. If your plant is large, it’s fine to cut back to the rim of the container or leave 6-inch stubs. Check for insects before bringing plants indoors.
  • Water it occasionally (every 4 weeks) to prevent the soil from becoming bone dry, but don’t keep it as moist as it was during the growing season. The foliage will fall off, and it might look dead. Don’t give up.
  • In the spring, move the plant to a bright window indoors or under a grow light and resume watering. When new growth appears, refresh the potting soil and return the plant to its pot.
  • When the first two sets of leaves emerge, pinch each new growing tip to promote branching. Keep pinching all summer for the bushiest plant!

Harvesting

The berries produced after fuchsia flowers fade can be eaten or prepared as sauces and jams and in baked goods. They are best when soft and squishy; the flavor runs from peppery to lemony. Single-flower plants (not double- or semidouble-) usually produce more fruit because less of their energy goes into the flowers.

Gardening Products

Pests/Diseases

These vibrant plants are quite hardy, the hybrid varieties especially. Check your plants once a week; if they’re going to be affected by something, it will usually be:

  • Aphids who suck out the sap causing damage and yellowing to the leaves.
  • Whiteflies, another sap sucking pest that causes stunted growth.
  • Thrips cause damage to the leaves. You should remove any infested or damaged leaves
  • Spider mites, to get rid of these pests, use a mixture of water and insecticidal spray.
  • Fuchsia gall mite—Aculops fuchsiae, a mite specific to fuchsias which distorts their appearance.
  • Stem rot.

Are You Ready For Fuchsia?

These beautiful flowers are relatively easy to care for, producing stunning, vibrant blooms that last for months on end. 

They attract all kinds of wonderful wildlife, such as hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies, who come in search of their rich nectar. 

These wonderfully versatile plants can be grown in many different places, from hanging baskets to flower beds, and can even be trained into a tree shape. 

So what do you think? Are you ready to give these plants a go in your garden?

Wit and Wisdom

  • Fuchsias were named for the famed German botanist Leonhard Fuchs in a description of plants found on the island of Hispaniola, now Haiti, published in 1703.
  • Many fuchsias sold today are a hybrid of three or more species. Check this page from Penn State Extension for more fun fuchsia facts.
  • Although California fuchsia, native to that state, has a red flower that resembles those of some Fuchsia species, it is, in fact, the species Epilobium canum.
  • F. excorticata produces blue pollen, which at one time was used by Māori women in New Zealand to adorn their faces.
About The Author

Andy Wilcox

Andy Wilcox is a flower farmer and master gardener with a passion for soil health, small producers, forestry, and horticulture. Read More from Andy Wilcox
 

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