FUCHSIA THALIA

Fuchsia thalia

No-one can deny that Fuchsias are fantastic, ornamental flowering plants. However, come the summer they are everywhere which means that they are common and in my mind - boring.

But there is one fuchsia cultivar that always looks impressively fresh, and that is the stunning Fuchsia triphylla 'Thalia'.

Fuchsia 'Thalia'

Native to mountainous regions of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, Fuchsia triphylla was discovered by Charles Plumier in the early 18th century during an expedition for new species in the Americas.

Fuchsia triphylla is one of the species that Plumier initially came upon, and then returned to France with.

He named the genus Fuchsia after Leonhart Fuchs, a popular German Medical Doctor who spent an immense amount of time studying plants with the hope of discovering herbal remedies.

It is a small shrubby plant which can grow as high as two or three feet in height.

The dark leaves are simple, elliptical, and quite large and act as a fantastic foil against the huge amount of flowers that this species can produce.

The flowers of Fuchsia triphylla 'Thalia' are long, tubular and generally a red-orange or red-purple colour depending on how nutrient rich the soil is that they are growing in. These gorgeous flowers appear from July until October.

In their native habitat, these beautiful flowers attract a wide range of insect pollinators and, in particular hummingbirds.

How to grow Fuchsia triphylla 'Thalia'

This species of Fuchsia will grow in almost any well-drained soil with the addition of humus (such as peat or leaf-mould) and a little bone meal.

Fuchsia 'Thalia' is not frost hardy so you will need to wait until May or June when the threat of overnight frosts are over before planting outside. However I will say that on the south coast of England I have left specimens outside to fend for themselves over the winter and they have survived to produce decent specimens by the end of the summer. Under these circumstances they were protected by a bark-chip mulch.

They are happy in full sun to light shade and while they will require additional watering during dry spells they do not like to be waterlogged.

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