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FUCHSIAS in Great Variety

Some time ago I heard someone complain about fuchsias along the lines of, "They're all so much alike."

The reality, however, is very different, and this is one of the factors that draws me to them. Individual cultivars vary enormously - in size, colour, form of flower, size and shape of plant, and degree of hardiness.

Flower sizes range from half an inch or less up to two inches or more across. The majority hang downwards on slender stalks, or pedicels, but some look up to the sky.

The complexity of the flower varies greatly. "Single" flowers have only four petals in the corolla, whereas "doubles" have eight or more and are often quite flamboyant with their ruffles and flares; in between are "semi-doubles".

Sepals and tube are frequently coloured to contrast with the corolla; and sometimes there is even a marked difference between tube and sepals. Lighter colours are often veined, and a white petal with red veins can be very attractive, whilst some are all-white - tube, sepals and petals. True blues are rare, and true blacks non-existent (yet!) but very dark purples come near to black in certain lights. Oranges can be very striking.

Some flowers are squat, with short tubes. There are also flowers with long tubes followed by elaborate flowers and others, of the triphylla variety, with very long tubes and almost no petals or sepals to speak of at all. Again, the dimensions of the stamens, and the stigma and style (the flower's sexual organs) vary widely from one cultivar to another. Some are quite stubby and reserved, almost hidden within the corolla; others are boldly presented, flaring outwards in bright colouring.

Leaves vary from light to dark greens, with a few varieties golden and yet others heavily veined in red. Some are smooth edged, others heavily serrated. Some are very small, whilst others can be over two inches long.

Branches rise from stems at different angles and with varying degrees of woodiness. There are cultivars which grow stiffly upright and others which loosely flop over the sides of the container in which they are grown. Some branch willingly; whilst others have to be snipped at the growing tip to encourage branches then to spring out from lower down the stem and bush out the plant.

I could go on, but by now I hope I've given some indication of the variety covered by the word, fuchsia. Growing them is a fascinating hobby. You never know what you're going to find next.

Copyright © 2008 David Murray, owner of this site.

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FUCHSIA PLANT SUPPLIES
We are still looking for a good online-fuchsia supplier in the United States.
So far our most promising prospect has not replied to our emails.
In the UK, fuchsia plants can be bought on-line from Thompson & Morgan.
Click on the banner here to go to their specialist fuchsia pages