Lakeshore Garden Centres Plant Finder

Other Names:  Bush Fuchsia, Hummingbird Fuchsia

Description:

A bushy and upright, semi-evergreen, hardy fuchsia variety; features numerous, small nodding flowers of scarlet-red with dark purple centers, beneath dainty green foliage; very attractive to hummingbirds; perfect for borders or containers

Ornamental Features

Thompsonii Hardy Fuchsia features dainty nodding scarlet bell-shaped flowers with deep purple eyes and red anthers along the branches from early summer to mid fall. Its attractive small serrated pointy leaves remain green in colour throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Thompsonii Hardy Fuchsia is a dense multi-stemmed annual with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It is a good choice for attracting hummingbirds to your yard. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Insects

Thompsonii Hardy Fuchsia is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Thompsonii Hardy Fuchsia will grow to be about 5 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. Although it's not a true annual, this plant can be expected to behave as an annual in our climate if left outdoors over the winter, usually needing replacement the following year. As such, gardeners should take into consideration that it will perform differently than it would in its native habitat.

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. You may want to keep it away from hot, dry locations that receive direct afternoon sun or which get reflected sunlight, such as against the south side of a white wall. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.

Thompsonii Hardy Fuchsia is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.