The Fuchsia Winter series encompasses three winter flowering Fuchsias:
'Winter Hymn', 'Winter Charm' and 'Winter Joy'. They were the first exercises to find entrances for making purple tripyllas.
All three have, as a common ancestor, a F. inflata x F. juntasensis seedling in their parentage: seedling ‘I 90-01’. This seedling was made by the Dutch Fuchsia hybridist Jan van den Bergh in 1990. A few years ago, the seedling unfortunately died.
The natural flowering period of these cultivars is in the winter season from October to April.
One Fuchsia from this series: Fuchsia ‘Winter Hymn’ can be trained to set flower also in July-September. Occasionally, Fuchsia ‘Winter Charm’ sets flower already in July, depending on how it is pinched and trained, while its last flowers from the winter season can be found till June.
All these three winter flowering Fuchsias are not really easy to grow and shape. However, they will provide a lot of pleasure on gloomy winter days.
All in all, a challenge for the more experienced Fuchsia grower.
Winter Charm
Fuchsia ‘Winter Charm’ (De Cooker, 2011, AFS 8167) originates from the crossing (F. inflata x F. juntasensis) x F. magdalenae. It has moderate fertility. The Fuchsia cultivars ’Remembering Claire’, ‘Delphobe’ and ’All Summer Beauty’ have one of its non-introduced sister seedlings in their parentage, which explains the purple colour of their corolla.
‘Winter Charm’ makes long branches, which can be tied up in the top of the glasshouse during the winter season. It can also be grown as a lash bush fuchsia. The plant performs best in dappled shade.
Winter Hymn
Fuchsia ‘Winter Hymn’ (De Cooker, 2014) is a Triphylla cultivar, originating from the crossing ((Göttingen’ x ‘Our Ted’) x (‘Göttingen’ x ‘Our Ted’)) x (F. inflata x F. juntasensis).
Its main natural flowering period is from September - April. It will loose part of its foliage in the winter season. However, if grown from non-pinched autumn cuttings, flowering starts already at the end of July. Autumn cuttings that have been pinched once will start flowering mid August.
‘Winter Hymn’ can be grown as a semi-trailing or lash bush fuchsia. The plant performs best in filtered light.
For obtaining an attractive display the whole summer through, 6 to 9 plants, grown from autumn cuttings, should be put together in a pot or basket. 1/3rd of the cuttings should be pinched twice, 1/3 rd once and 1/3rd should not be pinched at all. In this way a display can be obtained that will produce flowers from the end of July till April/May in the next year. It continues flowering at a glasshouse temperature of 5oC.
Winter Joy
Fuchsia ‘Winter Joy’ (De Cooker, 2011, AFS 8168) is a selfing from the seedling ‘I 90-01’ = F. inflata x F. juntasensis.
'Winter Joy' is a moderately fertile fuchsia. It makes long branches, and can best be grown as a stiff semi-lash bush or standard. It makes an attractive display during the winter season in the glasshouse at 5oC.
