Sandy2,
did you ever get an answer? I would love to grow a fuchsia ricartonii here in Denver, CO but can't find any info whether it would be successful.

Why not try a sacrificial lamb and find out. Plant it deep, mulch really well in the fall and maybe put a bucket over it so it doesn't get too wet from the top, enough moisture should seep in from the sides. In the spring remove the bucket, slowly remove the mulch and be patient, look for new shoots when the weather warms up. Up here my hardies die to the ground every winter and shoot from the roots in the spring. The link below shows how to plant to keep the root from freezing.

Here is a link that might be useful: Planting a hardy Fuchsia

hi theres about 200 plants that are classed as hardy if you plant at lest 4inches deper than normal and pull the soil up over the crown in winter donot prune till the new growth comes up in the spring all would be well garden news in a good hardy if you go to the bfs web site there is a list of hardies which would give you a guide they will not survive in pots out side you would have to put them in a frost free plaice till spring

hi there,

Look out for the hardy list of the British Fuchsia Society.
The plants are hardy here in the european alps with some protection too. I grow in my garden 5 of them and we have winter temperatures down to -15°C in January.

regards,
H.J.