There are more than 3,000 fuchsia varieties and most of the species originate from the forests of Central and South America. They vary from shrubs to small trees.  

Originating in forests, the plants do not like getting too hot, but beware of over-watering and pick up a pot to see how light it is before watering. Cuttings are best taken in autumn and early spring and a good tip to help establish them is to use Vitamin C powder to avoid the short shelf life of Hormone Rooting Compound.

Fuchsias in the South and West of England are attacked by the Fuschia Gall mite which requires drastic control through burning; other pests such as white fly can be controlled through spraying with washing up liquid.

Thank you to Peter Holloway for telling us all about fuchsias. He has been fascinated by Fuchsias for the last 35 years and has become a show expert and frequent judge of British Fuchsia Society events.

Words by Cherry Foster