Sorry Kosmosmom,
I'm not familiar with this particular fuchsia. Sounds as if it's just the cooler weather which in turn gives leaf drop before the winter, but too be on the safe side you could give it a spray with a fungicide - Kath:)

Hi Mom

Ditto to everything cultural that Kath says (as always) but here is a link that may be of some assistance.

http://www.paghat.com/fuchsiaqueenesther.html

I looked at a couple of Fuchsia Nursery sites here in the UK - one said that it was an upright growing variety and the other describes it as a basket - so we are still no wiser although it appears from the information given in the link it is upright.

Hope to be of help again,

Tight ....

Thank you for the feedback!

And thank you for that link, I couldn't find anything on the "Queen Esther" and was starting to think I was mad! :)

Originally I had thought it was normal die back, but the thing that had me leaning towards a fungus was that the leaves were splotchy with black/grey. Does this occur with normal die back?

Thanks again!

Hi Mom

Pleased that the site was of use to you,

There could be a few reasons for your plants leaves becoming discoloured and showing signs of distress, ranging from under/over watering, becoming chilled, through to the plants natural shedding of old leaves.

I have found another site with information that will, I hope, be helpful to you.

http://www.btinternet.com/~micka.wffps/abnormalities.html

Don't get confused with 'die-back' and the plants natural dropping of leaves or the leaves becoming diseased.'Die back' in your situation means 'dormancy' or 'resting' for the plant - 'die-back' as most growers would recognise it would be the plant actually doing just that, 'dying back' - usually from a cut (either intentionally or not) on the stem of a plant and this turning black or withering and dying.

Hope this helps

Tight ....

Thanks again. That link is quite helpful; the leaves look similar to the first picture. I am thinking now that it is due to chilling. (Since I bought it right before a cold spell!)

And good point on the word choice.

Thanks for the help and information.