Height: 10 feet
Spread: 7 feet
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: 9
Description:
A spectacular, mite resistant shrub that forms a towering, upright habit; may be pruned to maintain size; stunning hanging clusters of red trumpets with pink to white throats appear from late spring through fall; very attractive to hummingbirds
Ornamental Features
Bolivian Fuchsia features showy clusters of lightly-scented cherry red trumpet-shaped flowers with shell pink overtones and a white reverse hanging below the branches from late spring to late fall. It has forest green foliage with pointy creamy white spines. The large textured oval leaves remain forest green throughout the winter. It produces red berries with rose overtones from late summer to early winter, which fade to deep purple over time. The smooth tan bark adds an interesting dimension to the landscape.
Landscape Attributes
Bolivian Fuchsia is an open multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a shapely form and gracefully arching branches. Its relatively coarse texture can be used to stand it apart from other landscape plants with finer foliage.
This shrub will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It is a good choice for attracting birds and hummingbirds to your yard. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;
- Insects
Bolivian Fuchsia is recommended for the following landscape applications;
- Accent
- Mass Planting
- Hedges/Screening
- General Garden Use
- Container Planting
Planting & Growing
Bolivian Fuchsia will grow to be about 10 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 7 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more.
This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. This plant will benefit from an application of bonemeal and/or mycorrhizal fertilizer at the time of planting. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This species is not originally from North America..
Bolivian Fuchsia makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use 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 grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden. Be aware that in our climate, this plant may be too tender to survive the winter if left outdoors in a container. Contact our experts for more information on how to protect it over the winter months.
