Fuchsia, 'Gartenmeister'

Brand:  Monrovia

Description:

A pretty fuchsia variety featuring dainty coral nodding flowers that compliment the dark bronze-red leaves and stems; very attractive to hummingbirds; vigorous, upright, and tolerates heat better than other fuchsias

Ornamental Features

Gartenmeister Fuchsia features dainty nodding coral-pink trumpet-shaped flowers along the branches from late spring to mid fall. Its attractive small pointy leaves remain grayish green in color with showy coppery-bronze variegation throughout the year. The fruit is not ornamentally significant. The brick red stems can be quite attractive.

Landscape Attributes

Gartenmeister Fuchsia is a dense multi-stemmed annual with a more or less rounded form. 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 should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. 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

Gartenmeister Fuchsia is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Gartenmeister Fuchsia will grow to be about 3 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. 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, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. 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.

Gartenmeister Fuchsia is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its height, it is often used 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.