I live in Sugar Land and just purchased one today from Lowe's. It's a 10" hanging basket. I paid $15.

There's a reason they are hard to find in the eastern USA. They need climates that are more equable than yours, and they probably have relatively poor resistence to Phytophthora, although they are not as delicate as a lot of other plants from South America.

Dry heat is deadly to them, and humid heat will breed diseases.

Your best bet in Houston are probably the Triphylla types. These don't mind heat and humidity at all, coming from the Carribean. They are generally not hardy to frost (some of them are actually hybrids and have some slight hardiness). They are rather striking tho. They are uprights; you grow them in the ground which is better anyway as they are less exposed that way than in hanging baskets.

Good luck and have fun.

Many thanks for your responses. I shall give Lowes a visit. Thanks also for the advice, I shall make a point of asking for the Triphylla type.

Coming from Britain, it is sad not to see fuschia anywhere. I was somewhat surprised to find one store promoting a book on Fuchsia, but could not advise where to get the plants. Anyway, I will try Lowes and make some more phonecalls.

Thnaks again.

Chatney

>>Coming from Britain

AHH!

I am from a part of North America that has a very similar climate to southern England. Not exactly, because it's rainier than the southeast of England but warmer than the southwest and not nearly as mild. Fuchsias not as popular as they used to be, but we can still find them.

If you can't find them locally and really want to try one, try mail order. The link below will take you to a grower who does do mail order. If you want to do mail order you might need to hurry before it turns too hot to safely mail them.

Go to her catalog, and do a browser search on "Triphylla". Unfortunately she doesn't have a filter handy for those, but you can locate them one by one that way. Then click on the link on the name to take you to a page that has the picture on it.

Also, if you like, ask me a little later in the year for a start of Fuchsia campos-portoi or F. regia. They might handle heat a little better too (coming from Brazil).

Here is a link that might be useful: Earthworks Fuchsias

Does anyone know the story of the connection between the fuchsia and the Virgin Mary. I remembering reading story a long time ago and can not find any information now. If you can help please let me know
Thanks

chatney wallmart in webster sell some ive bought a few