Fuchsia Swingtime

Fuchsia 'Swingtime' is a long-established floriferous variety, favoured by gardeners worldwide. The plant forms a small, vigorous bush with a semi-trailing habit and is adorned as long as summer lasts with medium to large bicoloured flowers, of remarkable vivacity. They consist of a tube and vermilion red sepals that enclose a tousled corolla of cream-white veined with the same red. They continue to bloom until late summer on dark green foliage. Its spreading habit makes it ideal for hanging baskets. Easy to grow in partial shade, in fertile, moist, and light soil.

Hybrid Fuchsias are countless, and for the most part 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 leaves with a violet reverse. All these herbaceous to woody plants, more or less hardy and more or less upright or trailing, belong to the family Onagraceae, and are native to South America, the Caribbean, and Australia.

Fuchsia 'Swingtime' quickly forms a generous, spreading, and slightly trailing bush, reaching a height of 40 to 50cm (15.7 - 19.7in) when in bloom and at least as wide. Its flowering period extends from June to September-October. It stands out for its beautiful, rare-colored flowers, as well as for its vigour and floriferousness. Its flowers consist of a tube extended by 4 long, upturned sepals, of a very bright red tinged with orange, which wonderfully contrasts with a corolla of wider and shorter, very double petals, of a creamy white marked with red veins at the base. The outer sepals arch upwards at maturity, surmounting a tousled 'skirt'. Fine red stamens protruding from the corolla complete the harmony of colours. The stems, initially herbaceous, gradually become woody over the course of the season. They bear abundant foliage composed of small deciduous leaves, opposite or whorled in 3 or 5, entire, with toothed edges, 5cm (2in) long, lanceolate. They have a fairly dark and glossy green color. The hardiness of this variety does not exceed -5°C (23°F) in open ground.

Usually grown as an annual, this Fuchsia is a perennial that can be grown indoors, in a large pot that will be brought indoors during winter to protect it from frost, but also in open ground for a season, or even longer in mild climates. Fuchsias go well with the foliage of ferns, rodgersias, orange-coloured Heucheras, or light green hostas. In a mixed container, they can be accompanied, for example, by ivy, Dichondra 'Silver Falls', lobelias, or Bacopas with very delicate flowers. The large double-flowered varieties will be well highlighted 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 (and not Fuschia) in honour 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!

Green plants measuring 4 to 8cm (1.6 - 3.1in) in trays of 5 small plugs measuring 2.8cm (0.8in) in diameter and 4cm (1.6in) in height. Our plants are at least eight weeks old and strong enough to be planted in open ground.

Note: Please be aware that our young plants in mini plugs are professional products intended for experienced gardeners: upon receipt, transplant and store them under shelter (veranda, greenhouse, cold frame...) at a temperature above 14°C (57°F) for a few weeks before planting them outdoors once the risk of frost is definitively avoided.