the fantastic princess earring plant or fuchsia was out of style until its signature shade — hot pink — became a runway hit, adored by fashionistas like Chiara Ferragni and celebrities like Jennifer Lopez, and even the wife of the UK Prime Minister, who got off the plane. on a recent trip to Rwanda in a fuchsia pantsuit.
And now we turn our eyes again to this super versatile, low-maintenance perennial, which with a little care can overwinter in almost any climate.
So if you haven’t thought about adding these impressive and colorful plants to your garden yet, maybe now is the time.
Why are they coming back?
Evie Lane, gardening expert at Primrose explains that the princess earring is in the top five in the league of best-selling garden plants of 2022, according to the garden supplies company’s «Blossoming Trends» report – ahead verbena, roses and clematis.
«You shades of purple are proving to be very popular right now,” she says. “And obviously, many fuchsia varieties incorporate purple. Perhaps this is the influence of pantone color of the year 2022, Very Peri. So we started to embrace more originality and creativity in our gardens, adding a splash of purple.”
If you want to jump on the bandwagon, the most important piece of advice is to take note of the fuchsia variety, says gardening expert Sarah Raven.
“Some varieties are hardy, meaning they will survive winter frosts, others are tender, so they must be grown as annuals or in pots so they can be transported indoors for the winter.”
colorful story
Fuchsias were discovered by Charles Plumier (1646-1704), a French monk and botanist in the foothills of “Hispaniola”, today part of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, says Charles Valin, plant technician for the seed company Thompson & Morgan.
In 1703, Plumier published the name of his discovery as Fuchsia triphyllaflore coccineo, named after Leonhard Fuchs, German physician and botanist.
Fuchsias became a darling of the Victorian era.
shadow lover
Sarah Raven says that fuchsia is a great plant if you are looking for shade garden solutions. “Sometimes it’s hard to get the feeling of real lushness and abundance in the shade. Fuchsia is a fantastic shrub to be reckoned with here, giving great shape and masses of bright, rich flowers from mid-summer to the first frosts.”
A shade-loving variety that Raven recommends is Fuschia “Whiteknights Pearl” for elegant, bright pearly pink flowers that stand out in late summer and fall. Another good option she suggests is Fuschia magellanica “Hawkshead”, with delicate white flowers with green tips, reaching almost 1m in height.
*Via Gardening Etc