Fuchsia x hybrida Charming

The Fuchsia 'Charming' is a hardy fuchsia, one of the oldest cultivars still available, as it was introduced to the market in 1895. This variety is vigorous, robust, and reliable, easy to grow and floriferous. It has a bushy and upright habit with flowers that have recurved red sepals and a purplish-violet corolla on medium green foliage. They bloom continuously from June to September-October. Hardy down to -10 °C (14°F) in the ground, and possibly even more according to some sources, down to -15 °C (5°F), it is a perfect plant to brighten up shaded areas of the garden. In containers, this fuchsia is just as desirable, but slightly less hardy.

Hybrid Fuchsias are countless, and most of them are derived from Fuchsia magellanica and Fuchsia fulgens, sometimes with the contribution of Fuchsia triphylla, which adds length to the flowers. All these herbaceous to woody plants, varying in hardiness and habit, belong to the Onagraceae family. They are native to South America, the Caribbean, and Australia.

The Fuchsia 'Charming' quickly forms a dense bush with upright and branched stems, reaching a height and width of about 70 cm (28in). The stems, initially herbaceous, become woody as the season progresses. They bear abundant foliage, dark green, composed of leaves arranged in groups of 3 or 5, entire, lanceolate, rather narrow, and small. These deciduous leaves fall in autumn and reappear in spring. Flowering occurs from June to September-October, sometimes extending until November if the weather remains mild. The flowers are medium-sized, about 4 cm (2in) in diameter. Each flower has a calyx, a long tube extended by 4 long and recurved sepals, surrounding a corolla composed of wide and short petals. The calyx and sepals are cherry red, while the corolla is purplish-violet. Long cherry red stamens complete the colour harmony.

The Fuchsia 'Charming' is a perennial shrub that can be grown in the ground in regions that are not too cold. Its hardiness varies from -8 °C (without protection) to -10/-13 °C when care is taken to protect the base in winter. In shaded areas of the garden, fuchsias are often paired with plants that have similar growing conditions: hydrangeas, hostas, heucheras, ferns, and the beautiful foliage of rodgersias and brunneras. In a large container, they can be accompanied by ivy or begonias.

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. Native to South America, botanical Fuchsias have gradually been multiplied. There are now believed to be tens of thousands of hybrids!