Fuchsias are beloved garden flowers known for their bright colours and unique flower shapes. But what many gardeners may not realize is that these beautiful plants may also be a powerful attractant for bees, one of our most important pollinators.
If you’re looking to attract more bees with your garden plants, adding fuchsia flowers to your bee-friendly garden can be a great way to do just that. With their bright colour blooms and nectar, fuchsias are sure to draw in swarms of busy bees looking for a tasty treat.
There are several reasons why fuchsia plants are good for bees. For one, their bright colours and diverse flower shapes make them highly visible to bees and other wildlife as they travel from flower to flower in search of nectar. Additionally, fuchsias are rich in nectar and pollen, which provides both bees and bumblebees with important nutrients that help them thrive.
What Is A Fuchsia Plant
A fuchsia plant is a bee-friendly flowering shrub or small tree that is prized for its bright, colourful flowers and rich nectar. These beautiful plants are loved by gardeners for their ability to attract a wide variety of bees and other pollinators. They can grow quite large, ranging in height from a few inches to several feet, and come in a wide variety of colours and shapes.
There are many different types of fuchsia plants available today, including both deciduous and evergreen species. Some flower throughout the entire year while others only flower during the summer months.
Its striking purple flowers are pendulous, teardrop-shaped, and displayed in profusion throughout the summer and autumn. Fuchsia leaves grow in pairs on opposite sides of the stem, or as whorls of up to three or five, with a simple lanceolate shape, and usually have sawtooth-like edges.
Growing Fuchsia Plants
These vibrant and versatile plants are known for their ability to thrive in full sun or partial shade, they like fertile, moist, well-drained soil types. Fuchsias are generally considered to be hardy or borderline hardy, and can typically tolerate mild frosts without damage. If you live in a location where winters are harsh, you may need to provide some winter protection for your fuchsia plants by covering them with mulch or other garden materials
Fuchsias: The Complete Handbook by Miep Nijhuis is a comprehensive book covering every aspect of fuchsia growing, propagation and improvement of a range of recommended cultivars and species. This includes details of the origins and biology of the fuchsia, as well as tips on training and pest control.
Growing fuchsia flowers can be a rewarding and easy experience, provided you follow a few basic guidelines. You will also need to provide regular feeding and deadheading to keep your plants healthy and blooming. Additionally, it is important to prune your fuchsias back hard in the spring and pinch out the stems of tender varieties to encourage more flowers.
If you are growing fuchsias in pots, containers, hanging baskets, flower beds or borders make sure that you select something large enough for the size of the plant. You should also make sure to provide plenty of drainage holes in the bottom of the pots or containers and to water your plants regularly so that the soil stays moist but not soggy.
Fuchsia Varieties

Mrs Popple – From June to October, showy flowers in shades of scarlet and purple hang from arching stems, nestled among slender, deep green leaves. If you’re looking for a vibrant, single-flowered fuchsia to border your partially shady garden, this is the plant for you.
Riccartonii – Small, single flowers that are dark purple and scarlet in colour hang from arching stems between June to October, the leaves have a bronze tint, and deep green. This tough, upright fuchsia blooms beautifully for months on end, making it the perfect plant for a relaxed hedge area.
Lady Thumb – one of the hardier varieties, it can be left outside in milder areas. Forms a neat and bushy mound that is laden with carmine-pink tubes and sepals and white petals with pink veins from June to October. This compact, bushy dwarf deciduous shrub can spruce up your patio in an instant, or add lashings of colour to your mixed border for a lively and vibrant look.
Delta’s Sara – a recently introduced, hardy fuchsia, in bloom from early summer until the first frost. This plant has white sepals, and a soft violet-blue corolla with charming pink patches peppered throughout the petals. Will flourish in a generously-sized pot and Is attractive to bees and hummingbirds.
What to Plant With Your Fuchsia
Adding some companion flowering plants is a great way to enhance your landscape and create stunning colour combinations. Some popular choices include Weigela, Choisya Ternata and Hellebore, all of which work well with Fuchsias in terms of size, blooming pattern, and care requirements.
Weigela is a beautiful shrub that features vibrant red or pink flowers throughout late spring and early summer. In addition to its attractive flowers, weigela is also known for its glossy foliage and easy maintenance requirements.
Choisya ternata, also known as Mexican orange blossom, is a flowering evergreen that produces clusters of white flowers throughout the spring and summer.
Finally, Hellebore is a showy perennial flower that grows well in shady areas. Its large, cup-shaped blooms come in a range of vibrant colours, including bright pink, purple, white and red flowers.
Where To Buy Fuchsia Plants
If you’re looking to add beautiful fuchsia plants to your garden, the best place to buy them is Crocus.co.uk. With a wide selection of high-quality plants and expert gardening advice available, Crocus is the perfect website for all your gardening needs. You can generally find fuchsias for sale in nurseries and garden centres during spring and summer. However, to get the best selection possible, visit a specialist nursery or buy online.
If you’re looking to attract more bees, adding fuchsias to your garden can be a great way to do just that, thanks to their nectar source. Whether you buy fuchsia plants from Crocus.co.uk or grow them yourself, these vibrant and versatile plants are a great choice for any gardener who wants to help support our vital bee populations.