From our perspective as plants, survival is a matter of fundamental biology. The core reason most fuchsia species struggle to survive a typical US winter outdoors is our genetic heritage. The vast majority of fuchsias commonly grown in gardens, such as the popular Fuchsia magellanica hybrids and the showy trailing varieties, originate from the cloud forests of Central and South America, and New Zealand. These environments are characterized by cool, moist, and stable conditions, with no exposure to freezing temperatures. Our cellular structure is simply not equipped to handle ice formation. When water inside our cells freezes, it expands, rupturing the delicate cell membranes. This causes irreversible damage, leading to blackened, mushy stems and ultimately, the death of the plant. We are, by nature, tender perennials.
However, it is important to note that not all fuchsias are created equal. There is a notable exception: the Hardy Fuchsia, primarily Fuchsia magellanica and its cultivars. This species hails from more temperate zones in the southernmost parts of South America, including Tierra del Fuego, where it has adapted to withstand colder conditions. Our survival strategy in these cases involves a process akin to hibernation. As daylight shortens and temperatures drop in the autumn, we actively slow down our metabolic processes. We stop producing new growth and begin to draw valuable energy back from our leaves into our roots and woody stems. The above-ground foliage and stems may die back completely to the ground after a hard freeze. But if the winter is not excessively harsh, the root system and the crown of the plant (the base where the stems meet the roots) can remain dormant and alive beneath the soil and a protective layer of mulch.
Whether a fuchsia can survive outdoors in the US depends almost entirely on the specific winter conditions of your location, which are categorized by the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. For the hardy Fuchsia magellanica varieties, we can typically survive winters in zones 6 through 10. However, this comes with significant caveats. In zone 6 (where winter lows can reach -10°F), we will almost certainly die back to the ground and require a very thick, protective mulch blanket over our crown to insulate us from the extreme cold. Success is not guaranteed and depends on the severity of a particular winter. In zones 7-10, where winters are milder, we have a much higher chance of survival, and may even retain some woody stems above ground.
For all other fuchsias—the spectacular, large-flowered hybrids, the trailing basket types, and the triphylla varieties—outdoor winter survival is generally impossible in most of the US. These tender fuchsias are only hardy in the frost-free climates of zones 10 and 11, such as parts of coastal California. For gardeners in colder zones who wish to keep us alive from year to year, human intervention is required. The most common method is to bring us indoors before the first frost. This can be done by digging up our root ball, potting us, and keeping us in a cool, dark place like a garage or basement where temperatures stay above freezing but are cool enough to keep us dormant. Alternatively, we can be pruned back and kept as houseplants in a sunny window, though our growth will be much slower during the winter months.
