Fuchsia Douce France

The Fuchsia 'Douce France' offers a multitude of semi-double red and violet flowers throughout the summer. This plant forms an upright bush with flexible and slightly arched branches. Plant it in a flowerbed, a border, or a potted plant. Avoid direct sunlight and prefer somewhat sunny or semi-shaded exposure. It is a reasonably hardy variety that can be planted in cool, well-drained soil. Protect the stump in winter.

From the Onagraceae family, fuchsias are native to South America, the Caribbean, and Australia. They were discovered in Santo Domingo in the 17th century and owe their name to a German botanist, Leonhart Fuchs (1501-1566). 'Douce France' is a French creation by Massé in 1989. It is one of the many existing hybrid fuchsias, mainly derived from Fuchsia magellanica and Fuchsia fulgens, sometimes with the contribution of Fuchsia triphylla, which adds length to the flowers. Its bicoloured and semi-double flowers characterise this variety: the tube and sepals are red, and the corolla is violet. They bloom from June to October, or even November, on dark green foliage and an upright bush.

Hardy, the Fuchsia 'Douce France' can be grown in the ground, in a flowerbed or border. However, winter protection for the stump (mulching and winter cover) should be provided to give it the best chance. It can also be grown in a pot on a terrace. It will integrate perfectly into a slightly shaded flowerbed alongside the Hydrangea macrophylla 'Buchfink' with its dark pink, almost violet flowers, the Heuchera 'Bella Notte' with its chocolate brown foliage, and the imposing Rodgersia aesculifolia, whose foliage resembles that of a chestnut tree. Due to its long flowering period, associate it with perennials that bloom in autumn, such as the Rudbeckia fulgida 'Goldsturm' with its bright yellow flowers and the Sedum 'Autumn Joy' with its pink flowers for a colourful and bright autumn flowerbed.