Fuchsia Bella Nora

Fuchsia 'Bella Nora' is a floriferous and charming variety, with a compact and semi-trailing habit that is suitable for both pots and hanging baskets. The plant produces an abundance of single flowers with an unusual colour combination, ranging from creamy-white to magenta-purple turning to violet. With their slightly outward-facing position, they are more visually appealing and stand out nicely against the dark green foliage. Fuchsias are easy to grow in partial shade, in fertile, moist and well-drained soil.

There are thousands of hybrid fuchsias. For the most part, they are derived from Fuchsia magellanica and F. fulgens, with occasional contributions from F. triphylla, which adds length to the flowers, characterised by thin tubes and violet-hued undersides of the leaves. All these herbaceous to woody plants, varying in hardiness and growth habit, belong to the Onagraceae family.

Fuchsia 'Bella Nora' quickly forms a bushy plant with a semi-upright and trailing habit, reaching a height of 30 to 35cm (12 to 14in) when in bloom and spreading 35 to 40cm (14 to 16in) wide. Its flowering period extends from June-July to September-October. Its single flowers appear in large numbers over a very long period. They consist of a tube extended by 4 long and reflexed sepals in a creamy-white colour, and a corolla of wider petals that transition from magenta-purple to violet veined with magenta pink. Long white stamens complete this harmonious colour combination. The stems are initially herbaceous, becoming somewhat woody as the season progresses. They bear an abundance of foliage composed of slender deciduous leaves. They are opposite, whorled in groups of 3 or 5, with entire, dentate margins, measuring 3cm (1in) in length. The lanceolate leaves are a glossy dark green. Its hardiness is low, not exceeding -3°C (26.6°F) in open ground.

Usually grown as an annual, Fuchsia 'Bella Nora' is a perennial that can be grown in a large pot that can be brought indoors during winter to protect from frost. It can also grow in open ground for one season. Fuchsias pair well with the foliage of ferns, silver candles, orange or pink heucheras, and blue or light green hostas. In a mixed container, they can be planted with ivy, Dichondra 'Silver Falls', lobelias, or Madagascar periwinkles. This fuchsia also creates a striking effect when combined with dark-coloured coleus varieties such as 'Black Prince' or FlameThrower Salsa Roja.

Discovered in Santo Domingo in the 17th century and acclimatised in Europe, it was named Fuchsia (not Fuschia) in honour of a German botanist named Fuchs. Native to South America, botanical fuchsias have gradually multiplied. There are now believed to be tens of thousands of hybrids!