Description:

A vigorous, erect, hardy variety presenting flowers with long, recurved crimson sepals over dark purple corollas, among stunning golden foliage; very attractive to bees and hummingbirds; great for small gardens, containers, or hanging baskets

Ornamental Features

Golden Gate Hardy Fuchsia features dainty nodding deep purple bell-shaped flowers with violet overtones and crimson calyces along the branches from early summer to mid fall. It has attractive gold foliage with hints of chartreuse. The pointy leaves are highly ornamental but do not develop any appreciable fall color. The crimson stems are very effective and add winter interest.

Landscape Attributes

Golden Gate Hardy Fuchsia is a dense multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It is a good choice for attracting bees and hummingbirds to your yard. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Insects

Golden Gate Hardy Fuchsia is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting
• Hanging Baskets

Planting & Growing

Golden Gate Hardy Fuchsia will grow to be about 30 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 30 inches. It has a low canopy. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years.

This shrub 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. This plant will benefit from an application of bonemeal and/or mycorrhizal fertilizer at the time of planting. 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 particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.

Golden Gate Hardy Fuchsia makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor containers and hanging baskets. 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 grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.