Fuchsia hybrida Annabel

The Fuchsia 'Annabel' is a very floriferous upright variety, with large light double flowers. They appear almost white in the shade, with their outer sepals turning pink in the sun. They are enhanced by candy-pink stamens. A relatively hardy variety, which tolerates the sun very well, simply magnificent in the garden, in containers or hanging baskets.

There are countless hybrid fuchsias, derived, for the most part, from a combination of Fuchsia magellanica and Fuchsia fulgens, sometimes with a contribution from Fuchsia triphylla, adding length to the flowers which are then characterized by thin tubes and leaves with a purplish back. All these herbaceous to woody plants, more or less hardy and more or less upright or trailing, belong to the Onagraceae family.

The Fuchsia 'Annabel' or 'Annabelle' is a fairly old variety of great beauty. It forms a small upright bush with a height of 50 to 60 cm (19.7 - 23.6 in) when in flower and 30 to 40 cm (11.8 - 15.7 in) wide. It flowers from June-July to September-October. It is distinguished by long pendulous corollas reaching 10 cm (3.9 in). They are composed of a long tube extended by 4 long and curled sepals, white to pale pink, and a crown of wider and shorter petals, double, white-cream veined with pale pink set into in the outer corolla. Long tender pink stamens complete the colour harmony. The stems become woody over the course of the season. The fairly dark green leaves, 5 to 8 cm (2 - 3.1 in) long, are deciduous, whorled and lance-shaped.

Usually grown as an annual, this fuchsia is a perennial that can be grown indoors, but also outdoors where frost is not too severe. Its hardiness ranges from -5°C to -10°C depending if the plant is protected in winter.

Discovered in Santo Domingo in the 17th century and spread throughout Europe, it was named Fuchsia (not Fuschia) in honour of a German botanist named Fuchs. Native to South America, Fuchsias have gradually been multiplied and there are now said to be tens of thousands of hybrids!

Small plants measuring 4 to 8cm (1.6 - 3.1 in) in trays of 5 small plugs measuring 2.8 cm (1.1 in) in diameter and 4 cm (1.6 in) in height. Our plants are at least eight weeks old and are strong enough to be planted in open ground.

Note: Please be aware that our young plug plants are professional products intended for experienced gardeners: upon receipt, transplant and store them under cover (conservatory, greenhouse, cold frame...) at a temperature above 14°C for a few weeks before being planted outdoors once the risk of frost has passed.