Try our pick of some beautiful classic fuchsias
Sometimes the oldies really are the best when it comes to plants
While there are many new fuchsia introductions which are developed to give continuous flowering and compact self-branching growth, there are some older varieties which have been grown for many years and are still very popular. Some have survived two world wars, where there was a lot of disruption to nurseries, with ground and glasshouse areas being put over to food production. Those which have been grown for more than 50 years have some special characteristics which ensure their continued popularity and cultivation.
This is very much my personal choice of varieties I’ve grown in the past or ones that I still grow which are more than 100 years old. I’ve chosen those that are still widely available from garden centres or specialist nurseries. I hope you find some inspiration or become aware of the history of some varieties you’ve taken for granted.
‘Marinka’
This lax variety is still very popular in hanging baskets. It has almost fully red, single flowers, the corolla being a slightly darker colour. The sepals are held a little below the horizontal, cupping the corolla with upturned tips. Very free flowering and reliable, it does best on a north-facing wall which gets early morning and late evening sun. Care needs to be taken when first moving this variety outside the greenhouse as the changes in light and temperature can cause the mid-green leaves to redden. It’s often classified as French, introduced in 1902, but later information showed it originated in Germany some years earlier.
‘Tom West’
This lovely variety, grown for its beautiful variegated foliage with green, cream and red colours, has single flowers with a red tube and sepals and a purple corolla. It can be grown as a hardy variety in the southern part of the UK. It’s credited to Meillez and introduced in France in 1853. The deepest foliage colours are on the newest growth when grown in good light.
‘Beacon’
This is an old hardy variety, with upright growth and dark green leaves with serrated edges and a single flower with a red tube and sepals and a half-flared, mauve corolla. When planted as a hardy it grows about 75cm (2½ft) tall from being cut hard to the ground. It was hybridised by William Bull and introduced in the UK in 1871.
‘Snowcap’
Another hardy variety, but this is also easy to train as a standard or espalier. It has upright growth with mid to dark green foliage and a semi-double flower with a red tube and sepals and a white corolla with red veining
on the foliage. It will grow to about 60cm (2ft) from being cut hard to the ground in spring. It was hybridised by Henderson and introduced in the UK in 1888.
‘Lye’s Unique’
One of the many varieties bred by James Lye of Market Lavington in the UK and introduced in 1886, this variety is upright with mid-green foliage and a single flower which has a longish, waxy-white tube, waxy-white sepals and an orangered corolla. It’s very floriferous and grows to a lovely display in a large pot.
‘Mary’
This is one of the triphylla varieties, with large, ovate, sage-green leaves, terminal flowing with clusters of long-tubed, red flowers. It makes a spectacular display and has a long flowering period. It doesn’t tolerate full sun as well as other triphyllas and is best grown with some shade from the midday sun. Best overwintered in green leaf with a minimum of 5C (41F). Hybridised by Carol Bonstedt and introduced in Germany in 1897.