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Fuchsia
Fuchsia
Fuchsia blooms from June through September.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Fuchsia
Plant it in part shade. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 9–11. Expect it to reach about 20 in tall and 16 in wide at maturity, in roughly 1 year (not yet checked).
What was checked
Mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not, and each fact above says which. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Fuchsia
Wait until all danger of frost has passed, then plant out Fuchsia into warm soil; in most zones that means late spring. Planted then, it flowers from June to September.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 9, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 9 in February. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Fuchsia get?
20 intall5 ft 7 inan adult16 inwideSee Fuchsia in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Fuchsia
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space Fuchsia about 16 in apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add Fuchsia to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
Fuchsia's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags were checked against 9 published sources on July 29, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- Missouri Botanical Gardengroupheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Missouri Botanical GardenPlant Finder, Fuchsia 'Gartenmeister'height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- NC State ExtensionGardener Plant Toolbox, Fuchsia x hybridaheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- NC State ExtensionGardener Plant Toolbox, Fuchsia triphyllaheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- NC State ExtensionGardener Plant Toolbox, Fuchsia magellanicaheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Oregon State UniversityLandscape Plants, Fuchsia magellanicaheight, hardiness zones and sun
- University of Arkansas ExtensionUniversity of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension S...sun and trait tags
- University of Illinois ExtensionFlowers: Fuchsiaheight and sun
- Clemson Home and Garden Information CenterClemson Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Center, HGIC...sun
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
Comes in 6 varieties across 3 colors
Same genus, similar care - pick the color you are growing.
Compare every variety in the Fuchsia group
Every figure is the variety's own page fact. Tap a name to open it.
| Variety | Color | Blooms | Hardiness | Sun | Size (H × W) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Eyes | Red | Jun–Sep | Zones 9–11 | Part shade | 20 in × 20 in |
| Fuchsiathis page | Pink | Jun–Sep | Zones 9–11 | Part shade | 20 in × 16 in |
| Gartenmeister | Orange | Jun–Sep | Zones 9–11 | Part shade | 24 in × 16 in |
| Marinka | Red | Jun–Sep | Zones 9–11 | Part shade | 18 in × 20 in |
| Pink Marshmallow | Pink | Jun–Sep | Zones 9–11 | Part shade | 18 in × 20 in |
| Swingtime | Red | Jun–Sep | Zones 9–11 | Part shade | 20 in × 20 in |
| Voodoo | Purple | Jun–Sep | Zones 9–11 | Part shade | 24 in × 16 in |
Good to know about Fuchsia
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note. A note reports what its source says; where that differs from a fact above, the fact above is this entry's stored value, and its mark says whether it has been checked.
Worth knowing
Fuchsia dislikes heat and dry air: flowering stops once the average daily temperature climbs above about 76 F. Cool, humid, sheltered spots keep it blooming through summer. per Clemson
Annual or hardy perennial?
Two different groups share the name. Tender basket and florist types grow as annuals in cold zones; hardy Fuchsia magellanica returns each year from mulched roots. Identify yours first. per NC State and Clemson
A hummingbird magnet
The pendant, long-tubular, nectar-rich lantern flowers are a textbook bird-pollinated form. A peer-reviewed study of F. magellanica found a hummingbird its primary pollinator; the flowers also draw bees. per NC State and PLoS ONE
Safe around pets
The ASPCA lists honeysuckle fuchsia as non-toxic to dogs, cats, and horses, and NC State reports the plants non-toxic too. The magellanica berry, though, is inedible to humans. per ASPCA and NC State
Fuchsia gall mite
The most damaging fuchsia-specific pest, this microscopic mite distorts tips and flowers into reddened galls. Chiefly a Pacific-Coast problem: buy clean stock and cut out infested growth. per UC IPM
Balance moisture with airflow
The cool, shaded, moist conditions fuchsia loves are exactly what gray mold and rust need. Pair moisture with strong air circulation and dry foliage: water at the base, mornings. per Clemson and UMass
What pairs well with Fuchsia
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Azalea
Shares part shade and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Camellia
Shares part shade and moderate water; blooms in midwinter, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Flowering Dogwood
Shares part shade and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; its white flowers settle the pink.
Hellebore
Shares part shade and moderate water; blooms in late winter, before this one opens; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Bergenia
Takes part sun to part shade and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; echoes the pink.
Lungwort
Shares part shade and moderate water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Snowdrop
Shares part shade and moderate water; blooms in late winter, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; lower at 5 in, for the front of the border.
Eastern Redbud
Takes part sun to part shade and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; echoes the pink.
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Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.