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+-- Thread: Cape Fuschia's (/showthread.php?tid=20759)
Cape Fuschia's - jcline - 10-10-2011
I live in the Pacific Northwest. It rarely freezes so hard that I lose plants, but it does happen on rare occasion. I just bought a Cape Fuschia (Moonraker) to put in my back yard. The yard is sheltered from harsh winds by a fence. I have two questions.... 1.) How hardy are cape fuschias and 2.) should I choose to plant it in the ground before winter sets in, do I need to mulch it over the winter? Thanks for the help. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
Re: Cape Fuschia's - IntrepidMeredith - 10-11-2011
Cape Fuschias are natives of South Africa and are reliably hardy only in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 8 and 9. (Here's a link to the USDA zone map for the Pacific Northwest: http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/hzm-nw1.html) It looks like, depending on exactly where in the Pacific Northwest you live, the plants should be able to overwinter successfully outdoors. Mulching over the winter isn't a bad idea, and then you can cut it back almost to the ground in the spring. It looks like a nice plant!
Re: Cape Fuschia's - jcline - 10-15-2011
Thanks! I live between Zone 7b and 8...and was told yesterday by a nurseryman that it should do well overwinter. I repotted it to a frost free pot (about twice the size of the container it was in) and gave it a very good potting soil mix with nutrients and microrizia. It should be gorgeous next year with it's lemon yellow trumpet flowers. I had 4 kinds of hummingbirds in my yard this year, and this will surely attract them back! Thanks again for the info. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]