Many years ago the Bay Area was THE place to grow Fuchsias.  In 1981, however, Aculops fuchsiae, better known as the Brazilian Fuchsia Mite, or the Fuchsia Gall Mite arrived and rapidly decimated the Fuchsia industry on the west coast.  Spread by hummingbirds, wind, insects and people, the mite proved to be quite tenacious and difficult to eradicate, therefore causing most nurseries to quit growing them altogether.  

    One of the main problems with most Fuchsia hybrids was the fact that Fuchsia magellanica, one of the most mite-susceptible of the genus, was commonly used as a parent plant in order to make plants hardier to cold.   The mite is relatively inactive in cold weather, but at its most active in cool weather, making the Bay Area the perfect breeding ground for them with mild temperatures nearly year round. 

    Alas, there is hope.  Magic Gardens has one of the largest selections of mite resistant fuchsias in California.  Mite resistant fuchsias come in all shapes and sizes and can be used in many ways in the Bay Area landscape.  These are definitely not your grandmothers Fuchsias!  Here is a list of the mite resistant fuschias available at Magic Gardens:

   

Fuchsia ‘Angels Earrings Dainty’:  Single bluish-mauve corolla with sepals of cerise. Blooms early summer to early August. This Fuchsia has oval, green leaves and produce fruits that are edible but not appetizing.  Blooms well in interior heat if watered well.  Does well in a hanging basket.  Bright shade is best.

Fuchsia ‘Angels Earrings Snow Fire’:  Double pink, red and white corolla with sepals of white. Blooms in early summer to early fall. This fuchsia has oval, green leaves and produces fruit that is edible but not appetizing.  Like ‘Dainty’, does well in interior climates with adequate water.  Does well in a hanging basket.  Bright shade is best.

Fuchsia ‘Bell Buoy’: 'Bell Buoy' is a classic hybrid fuchsia, but unlike most hybrids, it is a mite-resistant variety. The large showy flowers attract hummingbirds and sport bright fuchsia pink sepals and purple petals. Long bloom period - from spring to late frost. Prefer regular water and morning sun or all day dappled shade.  (semi-resistant)

Fuchsia boliviana:  A beautiful fuchsia with large, lance-shaped velvety leaves that beg to be touched - the foliage alone is worth a place in your garden! Bears dramatic red tubular 2 - 3" long flowers in clusters at ends of gracefully arching stems. Open upright habit up to 12' tall and up to 8' wide - can be kept smaller by cutting back after bloom in late summer. Clusters of edible reddish-purple berries occur after flowering. Prefers morning sun or filtered all day shade, with regular water. Sunset Zones 17, 22-24.  (semi-resistant)

Fuchsia boliviana ‘Alba’:  Same as F. boliviana, except the flowers have a white tube and pinkish white sepals.  The petals are red, giving the flower clusters a nice two-toned effect.  Same culture and hardiness as F. boliviana.  (semi-resistant)

Fuchsia campos-portoi:  Very similar to F. megallanica…the main culprit behind most hybrids’ mite susceptibility.  Flowers are small and slender and have red sepal and purple petals and produced in profusion throughout the warmer months.  Plant is denser than F. magellanica and can climb if allowed.  Shade and regular water are best.  Very cold hardy, just like F. magellanica.

Fuchsia denticulata:  Evergreen Fuchsia which is the parent to many of the mite resistant hybrids. Large dark green leaves form the backdrop for dangling clusters of colorful 3" long flowers in red, orange, fuchsia pink, and lime green shades. Grows to 8 - 10' high and wide - can be kept smaller with pruning. Likes morning sun or bright shade and regular water. A beautiful fuchsia sure to attract admirers in your garden! Sunset Zones 17, 22-24.

Fuchsia denticulata – Red:  We are unsure of the parentage on this Fuchsia.  We had always believed this Fuchsia to be a red form of F. denticulata, but we feel this may be a hybrid, as the flower is bigger and more robust.  The foliage is also different being darker green with more obvious indentations on the veining.  Growth habit and cultural requirements are the same as denticulata.

Fuchsia ‘Fanfare’:  One of the most popular Fuchsias, ‘Fanfare’ is an incredibly vigorous and robust denticulata hybrid.  It bears glowing pink and orange tubular 3” flowers much of the year.  Makes a natural espalier or looks fantastic trained over an arch.  Can grow very large and has been known to completely cover walls with gorgeous lustrous dark green foliage which provides a nice backdrop for the vibrant flowers.  Frost tender but comes back from the roots after a hard freeze.

Fuchsia ‘Fanfare – Bush Form:  This form is decidedly bushier and compact than the typical ‘Fanfare’.  The leaves are a little smaller, and this form is not nearly as vine-like.  Flowers are identical to ‘Fanfare’.  Grows to about 6’ tall and can be kept smaller.

Fuchsia ‘First Success’:  ‘First Success’ is an unlikely hybrid between two Mexican species (paniculata x splendens).  It looks somewhat similar in leaf, flower and form to paniculata.  It grows to about 8 feet tall.  The leaves are a lighter green and are shinier and broader than paniculata.  The flowers are small (1”) and pink and are held in loose, open panicles to 1’ across.  Probably somewhat frost tender.

Fuchsia fulgens:  A beautiful upright shrub with 3” tubular salmon-pink flowers with green tepals. The leaves are a soft grey-green and somewhat wider and larger than most species of Fuchsia. Growing to 5’ tall, & about 3’ in spread, this Fuchsia from Mexico prefers a partly shaded location & rich soil. Frost tender but is resilient enough to spring back from the roots once the weather warms. 

Fuchsia ‘Galfrey Blush’:  Sister plant to Fuchsia 'Galfrey Lye', 'Galfrey Blush' sepals have contrasting light pink tips, fading to white to blue-white tubes, and foliage is a lighter green. Stems are strongly self-branching and grow in a lax to upright form. Blooms later than ‘Galfrey Lye’, mostly on old wood.  Suitable for hanging baskets.

Fuchsia ‘Galfrey Lye’:  One of the first successful crosses between classic garden hybrid Fuchsias and a mite resistant species, 'Galfrey Lye' has long arching red stems bearing abundant flowers with white tubes and sepals and deep carmine pink petals. Likes morning sun to part shade, and regular water. Frost hardy to 20 F.  Like ‘Galfrey Blush’, it is suitable for hanging baskets.

Fuchsia ‘Nettala’:  Large growing Fuchsia that can grow to 7' tall and wide.  Has a somewhat lax habit, especially when in bloom.  The flowers are red and dark pink.  The petals are quite unique by having a very elongated base, enabling you to see right through the center of the flower.  A hard frost will take it down, but its rootstock is quite resilient and will bounce back in spring to bloom again that summer. 

Fuchsia paniculata:  This is commonly referred to as the ‘Tree Fuchsia’.  It actually behaves more like a large shrub, growing anywhere from 8-20 feet tall.  Leaves are attractive and are about 3-8” long and are evergreen.  Flowers are small, but are abundantly produced in large panicles up to 10” across.  In mild climates, flowers are produced year-round.  Somewhat tender, it is at its best in Sunset zones 16, 17, 22-24.

Fuchsia procumbens:  This is probably the most un-Fuchsia like of all the Fuchsias.  This is a hardy groundcover from New Zealand with small round leaves.  The flowers are small yet amazing with yellow tubes, green tepals, no petals at all, and bright blue pollen on the stamens.  The fruits that follow are equally as spectacular forming large, grape sized bright red fruits that rest on the ground.  Cold hardy in all of the bay area, but does best where summers are mild.

Fuchsia ‘Scarlet Ribbons’:  A fuchsia boliviana hybrid, 'Scarlet Ribbons' has large light green leaves and bears brilliant red tubular flowers in large, hanging clusters. Grows to 6' high and wide or more, and prefers morning sun or all day filtered shade. A spectacular and rare Fuchsia hybrid.  Sunset Zones 17, 22 - 24.

Fuchsia thymifolia:  This shrub will grow 4-5’ tall (6-8' in some references) and will spread to the same width, but the plant can be kept much lower by pruning. The small leaves are evergreen. Miniature, dark pink, single fuchsia flowers are produced in profusion in the summer, primarily, but can bloom off and on throughout the year. It performs best in part sun to light shade with regular water. I have read various reports on its hardiness, but 20-25 degrees seems to be a safe bet.

Fuchsia tillettiana:  This is a very rare species not often found in cultivation.  It is a rather large shrub up to 6’ tall and wide.  It is a very heavy bloomer with long, slender and elegant flowers with red tepals and dark purple petals.  Flowers are produced in profusion from spring through fall.  Foliage is rather non-descript being about 2” long and a dull, matte green color.  Looks best when pinched back to induce bushiness.  Coming from the Andes, its hardiness is uncertain, but should tolerate temperatures down to 25 degrees.