Hi Mr Breeze

There is comprehensive information on how to grow a standard in the FAQ's section of the forum. I assume that by the term 'tree fuchsia' that is what you mean. With regards to growing them in hot climates I can honestly say that I don't have that problem, it rarely gets warm enough here in the UK for me to take my vest off!! - no joking apart we never experience the extremes of temperature that you will so I am not the best person to answer that question.

I can tell you how to grow a standard though if you have a problem with the FAQ's....

Tight....

They certainly prefer cool moderate coastal conditions with fairly high humidity year round and little frost. This is why they are so easy to grow here in San Francisco, conditions suit them very well, and many stay evergreen with the almost complete lack of frost. Hot, dry winds and lack of humidity will not make them easy to grow, and they typically will not bloom well in very hot temperatures, preferring them in the 60's to high 70's and probably at least 50% humidity. There are only a very few species of Fuchsias that will take regular freezing and zone 7/8 conditions. These mostly will die back to the roots and regrow each spring. You might try looking at the web site for Heronswood Mail Order Nursery for some of the hardier types, or stick with the hybrids shipped in to your local nurseries, and treat them as indoor/outdoor container plants. If you can successfully grow Maidenhair Ferns or Boston Ferns well outdoors in summer in your garden, you may well succeed with some of the tougher Fuchsias. I wouls guess you will need to grow them in bright shade and find ways to protect from wind and increase the humidity, and bring them in for the winter.

I am sorry I can't recommend particular cultivars as best in your conditions. I also don't know about the hard water tolerance, but I would guess that neutral to acid soils are safer long term. They are extremely easy here, as long as they are resistant to the Fuchsia mite, which can make even old tree sized plants look pretty awful by mid summer. Even in more inland parts of coastal Southern California, they take more work to grow well, as the hot, dry seasonal Santa Ana winds in fall really strees these plants out.

tightathome,

Mr. Breeze probably did mean tree, or at least tree like, I have seen several 10ft (3m) plus plants here in California.

Ryan