Fuchsia Lambada

Fuchsia ‘Lambada’ is a shrub variety distinguished by its upright, well-branched growth and its long, vibrant, bicolour flowering. Its single, pendulous flowers combine a soft pink with a rich violet-purple. More substantial than a fuchsia for hanging baskets or planters, over time it will form a small, flexible, and very floriferous shrub, perfect for a large pot, a trough, or even in the ground in a very sheltered garden.

This cultivar belongs to the Onagraceae family, like all Fuchsias. 'Lambada' is a German introduction by Wolfram Götz, dated 1989 in the Deutsche Fuchsien-Gesellschaft index. It is a variety with an upright habit, a small, deciduous, bushy shrub that will reach 0.50 m to 1 m in height and as much in spread over 3 to 5 years. When grown in a pot, the plant often remains shorter. It has dark green, opposite, ovate to lanceolate leaves with finely toothed margins. It is deciduous in our climates. The abundant flowers are single and pendulous. Each consists of a tube and sepals in pale pink to blush pink, and an inner corolla of violet to violet-purple. Flowering begins in June-July and continues into autumn if the plant does not lack water or nutrients. The hardiness of this variety is limited to around -5°C for a well-established and protected crown. The plant can survive winter outdoors in very mild regions, but elsewhere it will need to be overwintered in a frost-free place.

This pretty variety 'Lambada' can be planted in a large pot, in partial shade, on a terrace, balcony, or near the house. In very mild climates, it can also be planted in the ground, in a sheltered spot, in rich, well-drained soil that retains some moisture in summer. For companion planting, choose Oxalis triangularis ssp. papilionacea ‘Atropurpurea’, Coleus FlameThrower Habanero, trailing Begonia 'Summerwings Apricot' or Begonia Belleconia Snow. These varieties harmonise well with its flexible habit and long flowering, allowing you to create beautiful displays for partial shade.

Discovered in Santo Domingo in the 17th century and acclimatised in Europe, it was named Fuchsia (not Fuschia) in honour of a German botanist named Fuchs. Originating from South America, botanical Fuchsias have been gradually propagated. Today, there are said to be around ten thousand hybrids!