Very pretty, JJ.

Yes, very beautiful indeed, thanks for sharing these photos :)

For those who don't know the plant already or can't make out the label the last picture shows an example of Medinella magnifica.

Awsome fuchsia trees, I was lucky if I got more than two flowers on my Medinella m. when I had it, mind you my plant wasn't that big. This one makes me want another.

Annette

Those are gorgeous. I wonder if they can also grow them outdoors when it's hummingbird season. They would love them.

sandyslopes - in principle you can certainly grow them outside until the first frost. Some hardy varieties can take it a little colder even. But it does depend on your summer conditions as to how easy this is. There's a Fuchsia forum here on GW for basic FAQs. The plants in the photos have been trained as standards. They don't grow like that naturally. They are actually quite easy to grow as standards but it would take a few years to get them as fat stemmed as the ones in these pictures.

Here is a link that might be useful: Fuchsia Forum

â¢Posted by floral_uk 8/9 SW UK (My Page) on Sat, Jan 10, 15 at 9:23

Question 1: I have a hard time believing fuchsias can grow that tall and thick trunks. I remember there are fuchsia trees in New Zealand. Do you think these might be grafted?

â¢Posted by aftermidnight Z7b V. Island B.C. (My Page) on Fri, Jan 9, 15 at 16:

Yes, I love it too.

No - I don't think they are grafted. They aren't the same species as grows into large bushes (not really trees since they are multi-stemmed) in mild climates afaik. Those are F magellanica or hardy cultivars. There are hedges made from them in SW UK. The Belgian examples just look like fairly common tender cultivars which have been trained for many years. You pinch off side growth until the required stem height is reached then cut off the top and in subsequent years just keep pruning back the top branches.

Originals of these images are here:

Here is a link that might be useful: Serres Royales, Belgium

This post was edited by floral_uk on Wed, Jan 21, 15 at 13:44

â¢Posted by floral_uk 8/9 SW UK (My Page) on Wed, Jan 21, 15 at 5:19

Thank you so much floral.

Thanks for the link. I've only had fuchsia in pots that I've treated as annuals, so I immediately thought of hummingbirds and how they loved them. I've never seen fuchsia grown in this form before. They certainly are beautiful.

sandyslopes - Fuchsias are pretty easy to overwinter if you have a shed, garage, greenhouse or basement which doesn't freeze. No need to throw them out in the autumn. They are also one of the easiest plants to grow from cuttings. A trick told me buy a professional fuchsia grower is to take tiny cuttings - just one or two pairs of leaves from the end of a stem.

Here is a link that might be useful: Overwintering fuchsias

Floral is right, the small tender tip cuttings root and grow much faster. Another way of overwintering is to dig a trench and bury them, I did this when I maintained a large collection.

Annette

â¢Posted by floral_uk 8/9 SW UK (My Page) on Thu, Jan 22, 15 at 11:24

â¢Posted by aftermidnight Z7b V. Island B.C. (My Page) on Thu, Jan 22, 15 at 12:10

Annette and Flora, I have a situation with fuchsia cuttings. They grow nice roots in perlite and sterilized soil. But after I transfer them to normal soil, many of the rooted plants decline. It is as if they are not strong enough to fight against the microorganisms in the soil. I imagine using very small pot might help?

I just start them in any potting or cuttings compost I have lying around. I don't use sterilized medium or perlite. I pot them up a couple of times before they go into their final containers. This one's Carla Johnston, I believe, taken November 5th. I buy one plant of a variety that takes my fancy and then use it to make several from cuttings.

I've started fuchsia cuttings several ways, in damp sand in trays with a clear plastic dome lid, in a cloning machines and also the same way as Floral. when rooted I've always potted them into 2" pots, potting them up a size as the roots filled their pots, once the roots had filled a 3-4" pot they were good to go into whatever container planed for them. I've even grown some not classed as hardy in the garden by planting them deep ( the crown at least 6" down below the surface), in other words dig a hole plant the fuchsia in the bottom, filling in the soil around them as they grow. Even after a good freeze the rootball is below the frost line and will come back the following year.
Annette

Annette and Flora, thank you very much. I will try again.

I'll look for a fuchsia this coming spring at my local nurseries. I overwinter other things, so I'll give fuchsia a try. If I can keep it from year to year, that would make it worth buying. Thanks! .... In about three months the hummers should come back to my gardens.

Thank you for sharing. Those are what I daydream about.

â¢Posted by emmarene 9 (My Page) on Mon, Jan 26, 15 at 22:29

Daydream about?