Bella Maria Fuchsia

Bella Maria Fuchsia (Fuchsia x hybrida 'Bella Maria') is a low, bushy fuchsia of 30 to 45cm that suits baskets, pots and the front of a shaded bed. Red outer petals flare around a dark purple bell, and round buds swell and pop open into perky flowers. Semi-trailing stems add extra blooms around the edge of a container.

Why you'll love it

• Rich colour contrast. Red outer petals open like a star around a deep purple inner bell, a bold pairing that reads clearly from across a patio.
• Semi-trailing for more flowers. The stems arch outwards, so a basket carries flowers around the rim as well as across the top.
• Rounded and compact. It keeps a tidy 30 to 45cm shape, which makes it an easy partner for other small shade plants in a mixed pot.
• Colour where light is limited. Dappled shade and shelter from midday sun suit it, which opens up covered patios and shaded entries.
• Moves with the seasons. It is small enough to carry indoors when frost threatens, so the same plant can flower again next year.

Where it works best

Verandah and balcony pots. Group several pots on a step or ledge for a block of red and purple. Use a free draining potting mix and keep them out of strong afternoon sun.

Hanging baskets. The arching stems spill over the edge as the plant grows, so a single plant fills out the basket as it grows.

Shaded garden edges. Plant 40cm apart at the front of a bed under trees or beside a fence on the shadier side, with mulch around the roots.

Indoors for a season. A bright spot away from direct sun brings colour inside, then the plant can go back out once the weather settles.

Growing Bella Maria Fuchsia in Australia

Position and climate. Choose part sun or shade, sheltered from hot midday sun. Maria is frost tender: gardens in subtropical and warm temperate areas can keep it outside in a protected position, while cold climates should bring it indoors for winter or treat it as seasonal colour.

Soil. A free draining potting mix suits containers, and in the ground a bed with plenty of compost works well. Mulch around the plant so the roots stay cool.

Water and feed. Keep it regularly watered through the growing season and feed with a liquid fertiliser, or use a slow release fertiliser in spring and again in summer. Allow around 12 weeks for a new plant to establish.

Pruning. Cut the plant back in winter, ease off the watering and rest it in a cool, shady, frost free place. New growth follows in spring.

What to expect when it arrives

Bella Maria Fuchsia comes as tube stock, a young plant in an 80mm deep tube that establishes quickly, or in 140mm pots in packs of 10, which suit anyone filling a row of baskets or a shaded border. Tubes arrive small and leafy, so pot them on promptly and give them a few weeks to build up. The 140mm plants start with more growth.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Plants for balconies and verandahs
• Browse plants for partial shade
• Tubestock plants by the tube
• Shade gardening: what to plant where

Common questions

Can Bella Maria go in the garden, or only in pots?

Both. It was bred for containers, but it grows well at the front of a bed in dappled shade. Mulch it and water regularly until it settles, which takes around 12 weeks.

How often should I feed it?

Use a liquid fertiliser regularly through the growing season, or a slow release fertiliser in spring and again in summer. Pick one approach rather than doing both.

Is it safe for cats and dogs?

Fuchsias are generally regarded as non-toxic to cats and dogs. A pet chewing any plant can still get an upset stomach, so hang baskets out of reach.