Fuchsia Display

Fuchsia ‘Display’ is an old, hardy variety that has lost none of its charm. It forms a small, upright, elegant shrub with a long flowering period in deep pink tones. Its cold resistance allows it to be planted in the ground in a moist, lightly shaded border, but it can also be grown in a large pot near a patio or entrance.

Fuchsia ‘Display’ belongs to the Onagraceae family. The history of this cultivar is old: it is generally attributed to the English horticulturist William Bull in the 19th century and belongs to that group of hardy shrubby fuchsias that made the genus famous in the gardens of our temperate climates. This hybrid has been distinguished by the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
The plant forms a small, upright, dense bush, becoming more flexible with age. Its growth is fairly rapid. It reaches 60 to 75 cm in height with a spread of 40 to 60 cm, sometimes a little more under good conditions. The foliage is deciduous: the leaves fall in winter, then the stump regrows in spring if it hasn't suffered too much from frost. The opposite, oval to lanceolate, slightly toothed leaves, are a deep green. The stems are quite thin but sturdy, sometimes taking on a dark hue. The single and pendulous flowers are medium-sized. The elongated tube and sepals are a deep reddish pink, while the more rounded corolla is tinged with a clear pink. Flowering begins in June or July, depending on the climate, and continues until September or October, or even until the first frosts. As with other fuchsias, it may produce small, elongated, purplish berries. The trunk of this variety can withstand short spells down to -10°C if well protected. In colder regions, it is safer to grow this plant in a pot and overwinter it.

Fuchsia 'Display' has long been appreciated in English gardens for its ability to flower generously in partial shade, where other flowering shrubs bloom less. It can be planted in a perennial border, along a path, in front of deciduous shrubs or near a patio to enjoy its flowering up close. It is suitable for town gardens, romantic gardens and shaded patios. In a large pot, it makes a beautiful standard or naturally shaped specimen, provided it does not lack water in summer. Pair it, for example, with Begonia grandis ssp. evansiana, Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’ (Japanese (forest) grass), Heuchera ‘Pluie de Feu’ or Persicaria microcephala ‘Red Dragon’.