F. Ricartonii and F. magellicana varieties are the hardiest ones I know, but others will suggest more.

The two Ojibway mentions are species Fuchsias, and both get large, may even form hedges in places like Devon and the West country. Some other hardy varieties are: Madame Cornelissen, Beacon, Tom Thumb, Lady Thumb, Tennessee Waltz, Margaret, Margaret Brown, Mrs Popple, Garden News, Alice Hoffman, Eva Boerg, Snowcap, Fuchsia genii with yellow leaves. All grow to different heights though, so you need to check out the height and spread, and the colour and form of flowers, on each one before deciding - some are pink and white, some red and purple, etc. And bear in mind they're only hardy if planted in the ground, not in containers.

I have a large Fuchsia Tom West which is full hardy or so I thought! I nearly lost it in a large plastic pot in the cold green house last winter. It has now recovered but has not flowered this year. I am trying it in the ground this winter.

I have a beautiful large flowered hardy fuchsia in my garden which I got via a cutting from a customer's garden. Unfortunately I don't know its name.

It grows to about 3 feet high and the flowers are 7cm( 3 inches ) long

Can anyone help identify it please?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31559373@N00/564582951/

If we can identify it I'd highly recommend it to you Appleblossom girl

Beacon, Garden News, Alice Hoffman and Lena all survived with me this last winter. Tom Thumb, Son of Thumb and Lady Thumb survived but have been smaller than usual this summer. A good trick is to plant them several inches below the soil line in the pot, unlike most plants. Hard winters will probably kill off all the top growth (which you should leave on the plant until frosts are over) but new growth should appear in late spring, just when you were about to give them up for dead!

If you have a mature plant you could plant it out now, but if you buy a very small one in the Spring I would leave it in a pot for a while until its bigger and plant it out later in the summer.

If you are in an exposed position Mrs Popple is probably the hardiest of the larger flowered ones. Lena is very vigorous and hardy too, but is best where it can hang over a low wall as it is very lax in growth.

I think you may haver just mentioned the name of the fuchsia I have in my garden ie Mrs popple. Googling it it is the nearest I've seen to my own plant.

I've got Beacon and Dollar Princess. Both have been in the garden years and both survived the last really severe winter here in the North East, although both were slow to start this year.

Anchorman, I looked at your pic, but it appears to have a slightly orange tone to the top petals - I too thought Mrs. Popple, apart from the slight orangy look, and Mrs. Popple usually gets to 4 feet rather than the 3 you mention, its a vigorous plant.

I've just checked and my earlier estimate of 3 feet is incorrect. One in my garden is 4 feet tall!

Also I've noticed ( looking back on various photos I've taken of this fuchsia over the years) that the colours seem to vary quite alot depending on how old the flower is and the light conditions.

Here for example is a photo I took of the same plant yesterday!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31559373@N00/6082454583/in/photostream

Mrs Popple is the best match I've found so far but it may well be incorrect.

I've noticed on googling fuchsias ,in particular, that there is clearly a great deal of mis-naming going on as obviously very different plants are being given labelled with the same name

Yes, and not just Fuchsias either - websites which sell plants particularly are not 100% reliable with their naming and photographs.

I think yours looks more like Beacon than Mrs Popple. You are so right about the naming - it is very confusing when you're trying to identify one. I have seen pics of Beacon that look like something else altogether.

Try googling "Fuchsia Beacon" Steragram. Some look like mine others don't!

I have - Fourth line down, third one along is the right colours. Google Mrs Popple and look at the seventh line down, fourth pic from the left. The tube of Beacon is that colour, not the true purple of Mrs Popple. Hope that helps.

It helps a bit but the trouble is the colours on my fuchsia seem to vart such alot I'm still not sure whgich it is.

I think I'll call it Mrs Popple's Beacon!

:^)

Brilliant! Love it.