Fuchsia Transplant Info: When To Transplant Hardy Fuchsias

Fuchsia Plant
fuchsia flowers
(Image credit: Leo Malsam)

Gardeners are often confused about which fuchsias are hardy and when to transplant hardy fuchsias. The confusion is understandable, as there are more than 8,000 varieties of the plant but not all of them are hardy. The form of fuchsia may be trailing, bush, or vine. Most have tubular flowers which may be single, double, or semi-double. Read on for more fuchsia transplant info and to learn the best time to move a hardy fuchsia plant.

Is the Fuchsia Hardy to Your Area?

With so many types from which to choose, it can be difficult to determine if you have a hardy fuchsia or a semi-hardy one that acts as an herbaceous perennial, dying back in winter with new growth in spring. Additionally, a hardy fuchsia plant in Dallas may not be hardy in Detroit. Before you learn when to transplant hardy fuchsias, make sure the plant is hardy or semi-hardy to your area. Some are tender perennials and will not return no matter the time of transplant. These can be grown in containers and overwintered in an area protected from frost and freeze.

Learning the Best Time to Move a Hardy Fuchsia Plant

The best fuchsia transplant info about hardiness comes from the source of the plant. Purchase at a local nursery or garden center that knows about the plant and its hardiness to your area. Many online nurseries supply accurate and helpful information about the best time to move a hardy fuchsia plant. Employees at the big box store are not likely to have this information, so buy your fuchsia plant somewhere that is a good source of information. When you discover the best time to move a hardy fuchsia plant in your area, prepare the soil before digging the plant. Plant fuchsia in well-draining soil in a part sun to shade area of the garden. The further south you are, the more shade the plant will need, but it will not take full sun in most areas. F. magellanica and its hybrids are usually the most cold hardy for northern gardens.

When to Transplant Hardy Fuchsias

As a rule of thumb, the best time to move a hardy fuchsia plant is when the leaves fall off and blooms are spent. However, transplanting fuchsia plants with foliage, and even with blooms intact, is often successful. The best time to move a hardy fuchsia plant is when it has a few weeks to become established before the ground freezes and when it will not be subjected to stress from hot summer temperatures and drought. This often means transplanting fuchsia plants in autumn in USDA zones 7 and above and waiting until spring in lower zones. Early spring or late fall is when to transplant hardy fuchsias in areas without winter cold.

Becca Badgett
Writer

Becca Badgett was a regular contributor to Gardening Know How for ten years. Co-author of the book How to Grow an EMERGENCY Garden, Becca specializes in succulent and cactus gardening.