Fuchsia magellanica Genii

Fuchsia 'Genii' is an old British variety dating back to 1951, still highly appreciated for its bright foliage beautifully tinged with lemon yellow, its abundance of flowers, and its good cold resistance. Medium sized, it forms a beautiful, semi-evergreen bush covered with leaves that vary in color depending on the amount of sunlight and adorned with a multitude of bright, bicolored bell-shaped flowers, fuchsia pink and violet, that bloom throughout the entire summer season. It goes dormant in winter, under a thick straw blanket, to come back even stronger in spring. A very reliable fuchsia, ideal for bringing a touch of cheerfulness to shaded areas of the garden.

Hybrid Fuchsias are countless, and most of them are derived from Fuchsia magellanica and Fuchsia fulgens, sometimes with the contribution of Fuchsia triphylla, which adds length to the flowers, which are then characterized by thin tubes and violet-reversed leaves. All these herbaceous to woody plants, reasonably hardy, with an upright yet relaxed branching habit, belong to the evening primrose family, and are native to South America, the West Indies and Australia.

The 'Genii' Fuchsia quickly forms a small, dense, upright bush, about 1m (3 ft 4 in) high and wide. The stems, initially herbaceous, become woody as the season progresses. They bear abundant foliage, light green-yellow with lemon yellow spots, the narrow and deciduous leaves are opposite, whorled in 3 or 5, 5 to 8 cm (2 to 3.1 in) long, lanceolate. Its flowering period runs from June to September-October. Its flowers, 3 to 4cm (1.2 to 1.6 in) long, are composed of a long pink-red tube extended by 4 long and reflexed sepals, and a corolla of wider and shorter violet petals. Long pink stamens complete the harmony of colors.

Usually grown as an annual, this Fuchsia is a perennial shrub that can be grown indoors, but also in the ground where the frost is not too severe. Its hardiness ranges from -6°C (21.2 °F) (without protection) to -10°C (14 °F) when the plant is properly sheltered in winter. Fuchsias pair well with hydrangeas and the foliage of ferns, rodgersias, orange heucheras, or light green hostas. In a flower pot, they can be accompanied, for example, by ivy, 'Silver Falls' dichondra, lobelias, or bacopas with very delicate flowers. Varieties with large flowers will be enhanced by upright varieties such as 'Price Noir' or 'Winston Churchill'.

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