PUSHING THE BORDERS

I have an annoying habit of wanting new plants too late after their introduction when they are no longer available. Climbing Fuchsia Lady in Black was freely available a couple of years ago. I picked a plant up in B and Q but put it back down thinking it was a tad expensive for a fuchsia but the skirt colour was exceptional. Now I want one and literally nowhere sells it. It was supposed to be reasonably hardy but I just contacted one supplier who is no longer selling it because it proved to be not so tough. Now I have the perfect spot for it, it seems to have disappeared from the planet!
Did anyone buy it, have it and is prepared to sell/send/swap etc a cutting or plant? I would be most grateful.

Thi k that may have been bred by Steve yendell at rainbows end nursery? If so I have one from that breeding program! I don't as arule propagate it but I will dig out a picture when I get home (been at a plant sale) if its c.ose enough I could bring bits up to hodnet

Charlie that would be amazing! It is a climber. I have other fuchsias which have “black” skirts but it was the fact that this one could go up the wall in my courtyard area which is the reason I so want it! No idea who bred it. I just like it!

I think Steve was using the New Zealand species Excorticata which has deep flowers on the bare wood and a rather woody shrubby habit but he wouldn't say what the other parent was. Its been 20 years since I last saw him but it was a fascinating glimpse of a whole aspect of horticulture - a nursery that didnt sell plants! just the patents for new plants.

Having offered you a bit I thought I had better check on it and its fine! I didnt realise it would climb although thinking back that may well have been why he gave it to me? sadly I have to cut back and burn all the fuchsia each autumn to try and control Fuchsia gall mite.

Pictures I have failed to find but possibly some brain cells may decide to shake hands and communicate and the memory of where I stored them may return!

If that’s the case, then I can see why it was promoted as hardy because for me excorticata has always been bone hardy. Indeed, it requires hacking back severely every year. I’m surprised that such a plant with a remarkable colouration has all but disappeared after being sold by all the big names in plant sales in the UK.
The other climbing fuchsia I wanted, regia ssp regia, I have finally managed to get hold of. This one grows much higher to quite a number of metres but has less flamboyant flowers.