When to plant and prune Fuchsia (Hardy)
Fuchsia magellanica and hardy cultivars
Do not prune hardy fuchsias in autumn — leave the old top growth in place over winter as it protects the crown from frost; cut back only in early spring once new growth shows where the live wood is.
Planting, flowering and pruning by region
Pruning is driven by dormancy rather than frost, so it is not shifted by region — the same cut is right in Inverness and in Penzance. Planting windows do move.
| Where you are | Plant | In flower | Prune |
|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | late May to late June | early July to late October | late March to mid April |
| South Coast and Channel | late May to late June | early July to late October | late March to mid April |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | late May to late June | early July to late October | late March to mid April |
| South East and Home Counties | late May to late June | early July to late October | late March to mid April |
| East Anglia | late May to late June | early July to late October | late March to mid April |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | late May to late June | early July to late October | late March to mid April |
| Wales and West Coast | late May to late June | early July to late October | late March to mid April |
| Northern England | late May to late June | early July to late October | late March to mid April |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | late May to late June | early July to late October | late March to mid April |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | late May to late June | early July to late October | late March to mid April |
| Northern Ireland | late May to late June | early July to late October | late March to mid April |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | late May to late June | early July to late October | late March to mid April |
How to prune it
Cut back winter dieback to healthy buds/live wood in early spring; congested plants can be cut to the ground.
Severity: hard.
Feeding
Feed once in spring with a general fertiliser if growth is poor; container plants benefit from liquid feed mid-May to early September.
At a glance
- Type
- Shrub
- Hardiness
- H4
- Eventual height
- 1.0 m
- Eventual spread
- 1.0 m
- Years to maturity
- 3
- Spacing
- 75 cm
- Sun
- Partial shade
- Soil
- Most soil types, avoiding extremes of wet or dry
- Evergreen
- No
- Pollinator value
- 3 out of 5
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 20 litres or more
- Difficulty
- Easy
Winter protection
Plant the base 5cm deeper than the pot's soil level to protect the crown; in cold gardens hardy fuchsias are cut to the ground by frost but usually regrow from the protected crown.
Growing notes
Plant in early summer, not autumn to spring — young hardy fuchsias planted late in the season are much more vulnerable to being killed by their first winter.
What usually goes wrong
- fuchsia gall mite
- vine weevil
- capsid bug
- grey mould
- winter dieback
Related guides
Cross-checked against RHS guidance.