Duchess of Albany - Bush

'Duchess of Albany' is hands down, one of my new favorites! A gorgeous bush when in full bloom! It needs a bit of pruning to keep it going in a more upwards direction than sideways, but it is well worth the effort. It is a vigorous grower which has now handled two winters with freezes that damaged others nearby, but not it. And this will be it's third summer in a large container out in the full sun most of the day. Some of the older and larger specimens in my collection do get some afternoon shade from the fruit trees if they are in the front yard. Otherwise, it would be necessary to either re-pot them, or keep them pruned within the means of their containers. A basic rule of thumb is that you ought not to allow a plant to get larger than it's container. Especially a plant out in the sun. Or it will not be possible for the plant to have a root system large enough to cope with the heat and sun. The 'Duchess of Albany' also has unusual foliage for a fuchsia, I am wondering who her parents are! The leaves are a bit thicker and fleshier than most fuchsia leaves, and a lighter green than most others. Just makes this one stand out even more!