Fuchsia Gartenmeister Bonstedt

The Fuchsia 'Gartenmeister Bonstedt' is a very beautiful hybrid variety with a bushy habit and beautiful flowering made up of thin and long tubular coral-colored flowers clustered together. They are abundantly produced and last for a long period of time, amongst beautiful green foliage tinged with bronze and purple, swaying in the wind. This selection is not very hardy, but it tolerates sun and heat better than other fuchsias. It can be grown in the ground as a perennial in milder regions, or in a large pot to be stored in the conservatory in cold climates.

The Gartenmeister Bondstedt Fuchsia is a woody-based perennial plant of the evening primrose family that forms a semi-erect and rounded bush. One of its ancestors, the fulgens Fuchsia, is a lithophyte shrub (which lives on rocks) with tuberous roots. This originates from Mexico, but also from the West Indies, where it grows on rocks, in oak forests, among mosses and ferns, at an altitude below 1500 m (4921 ft).

The Gartenmeister Bonstedt hybrid fuchsia, with fast growth, can reach 70 to 80 cm (27 to 31 in) in all directions. Its stems tinged with reddish bronze bear oval and elliptical leaves. They are medium green in color, more or less tinged and bordered with bronze to purple depending on whether the plant grows in total or partial shade, forming a beautiful background for the flowers. These usually appear from late spring to the end of summer, but can be present almost all year round when the plant is kept warm. They are grouped in dense clusters, at the end of the branches. Tubular in shape, narrow, the corollas hang at the end of the red petioles. They are composed of a long fleshy calyx with four pointed sepals, in which a corolla is embedded. Long stamens finally emerge from it. The whole flower displays an intermediate color between red, pink and orange. The foliage, theoretically evergreen, as well as the woody parts, are killed at -3°C (26.6 °F). The stump perishes when the frost persists, around -6°C (21.2 °F). Hardiness is slightly improved in well-drained soil, in a sheltered position from winds and heavy winter rains, under a thick protective mulch, with winter cover.

The Gartenmeister Bonstedt Fuchsia's colors are unmatched and its luxuriance takes the gardener to far-off places where winters are mild. This plant is a very beautiful specimen to decorate a terrace or balcony. In the ground, it performs well in the morning sun, even in regions with hot summers, as long as its base remains moist and protected from extremes. It works wonders in shady corners, bringing a lot of personality. Mixed with gray or lemon green foliage, or mixed with Coleus, it will create a lush and colorful display. Place it at the back of a border in small gardens and it will create a focal point that catches the eye. Also consider planting it among your hostas and silver candles.