Plant Library

Brand:  Proven Winners

Description:

A beautiful trailing container selection, ideal for hanging baskets and window boxes; red and deep purple-blue nodding flowers dangle from bushy green foliage; blooms from spring to fall; adaptable as a houseplant; low maintenance-no deadheading required

Ornamental Features

Dark Eyes Fuchsia features dainty nodding purple frilly flowers with red bracts at the ends of the branches from mid summer to early fall, which emerge from distinctive red flower buds. It has green evergreen foliage. The pointy leaves remain green throughout the winter.

Landscape Attributes

Dark Eyes Fuchsia is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a shapely form and gracefully arching branches. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This shrub will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Insects

Dark Eyes Fuchsia is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Container Planting
• Hanging Baskets

Planting & Growing

Dark Eyes Fuchsia will grow to be about 12 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 8 years.

This shrub does best in a location that gets morning sunlight but is shaded from the hot afternoon sun, although it will also grow in partial shade. Keep it away from hot, dry locations that receive direct afternoon sun or which get reflected sunlight, such as against the south side of a white wall. 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. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid. It can be propagated by cuttings; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Dark Eyes Fuchsia makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor containers and hanging baskets. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers against which the thriller plants stand out. 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.