Massive Fuchsia

On a Sunday in November last year, I was asked to clear a rather overgrown Council garden. Everything was to be cut down or removed. The offenders I was supervising got to work and soon had the garden looking ship shape. In the corner was a rather large Fuschia that I noticed one of the lads had almost removed. Due to the nature and haste of his excavation, it had very little root. I thought I'd give it a go anyway so I bagged it up and took it home.

I set to work on it straight away, washing all the soil off and cleaned up the hacked roots. It was potted up and left.

Here it is today.

Here is the flower. Does anyone know what variety this is. Has anyone worked with Fuschia in a temperate climate, or should I just plant it in the ground? Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

I can't remember the exact name, but these are fairly hardy in our climate. Probably needs some winter protection when potted though.

In a thread about a Belgian potter who recently passed away, there are some of his fuschias :

Fuschias de A. van de Kerckhove

Likely to be a F. Magellanica if the flowers are small.

Usually seen in Devon my luvver, where it used as hedging material

Perhaps Mike Jones will be able to help regarding growing it.

It is classed as a hardy variety in the ground in a pot though it is a different matter will need frost protection.
You are such a lucky b**!!r not only to have collected it but to have saved it.
See Community service works
If you work on it as a bonsai it will be the biggest in the UK, That is unless someone knows differently

Wow, great find! I know nothing about growing these, but look forward to seeing it evolve.

Hi Will

I will look forward to se the progress with this plant.

Kind regards Yvonne

Hi Will.
Dave Martin is right i think, it looks like Fuchsia Magellanica Gracilis.
With this one you are really lucky i belief,
i planted one in the garden in the hope to get a nice shohin in the future.
As a bonsai i would keep them sheltered in the winter because they can freeze back to the roots,
this would mean loosing each year all branching work.
regards, Sunip

Will, did you do anything to protect the wounds from when it was lifted?

Hello all and thanks for the ID. None of the wounds were sealed Rich, is this a problem?
Can it be overWintered in the house as I have no Winter protection?

Hi Will,
I would seal the wounds, but also try to grow the highest shoots on the trunk to get some vigor in the whole this season.
Overwintering indoors i would not consider, because the air is to dry.
Frost free in some way is best.
What about a cellar, garden shed or hallway?
regards, Sunip

Hi, it is definately Magellanica, we have grown it every year, for the past 5 years as a bedding plant in our garden centre. Although Fuchia come in 2 groups, annual and hardy, most die back if the temp fall below 5 and die back, but it is always best to hold older plants back until mid may, as they have a habit of sprouting again

will baddeley wrote:Hello all and thanks for the ID. None of the wounds were sealed Rich, is this a problem?
Can it be overWintered in the house as I have no Winter protection?

I was just wondering as the wood is very soft. Although, saying that, a lot of people grow them around here as garden plants, and cut then back to soil level each winter and it doesn't do them any harm.

If your wintering options are limited, could you put it in a polyframe and use a heating cable to keep the roots/base above freezing? Just an idea.

Cheers

Will,
If over wintering is that much of a problem bring it to me when you visit Phoenix

As regards growing it, it will die back but will sprout from the stems again in the spring.

Harry Harrington has a Fuchsia which he has developed so p'raps he can help?

As they lose foliage I can't see why you couldn't put in a garage after all all it is is a deciduous shrub which requires sparing watering and really no light unless you keep it in the green?

I think I will have to gift this to someone who can give it the appropriate Winter protection. We have a room in the house that is cooler through Winter but it is still heated. The top third that was above the pot during Winter has died back and all the growth seems to be from soil level.

I brought some small fucsias with beautiful flowers from the mountains down to the city and they all died on me

I need to buy a weekend house up in the hills where it´s colder.