Is that supposed to be terrible? You have should have seen the Fuschias I grew in England by late October, never mind Christmas....Fuschias are seasonal plants and die back in winter. By March/ April you should be able to see the extent they have died back and prune away all the dead growth. If there is any frost they will die back completely to ground level, if the frost is severe or prolonged - adios. Post again after the winter and let's see how it goes.... Your plant is one of the tenderer varieties. California is not an ideal place for Fuschias - summer too hot and dry generally. It looks as if it hasn't had enough shade during this period.

Sorry, but not all fuchsias are seasonal plants. Some, especially those of the species magellanica, are quite hardy to zone 6 and in warmer zones become small to medium sized shrubs.

'Gartenmeister Bonstedt' is of the triphylla group, which tends to be hardier than most common garden hybrids - the "hanging basket" type fuchsias that are typically sold as annuals. It is certainly fully hardy in San Diego and grows there well. FWIW, it could be in bloom a large part of the year if given the right care.

It would prefer a rich, organic soil and even and consistent moisture - not happy if allowed to dry out. It can grow easily in full sun if in a coastal setting (like San Diego) but better in part (afternoon) shade in an inland setting. And no worries about heat :-) Fuchsias for the most part are tropical and semitropical plants and thrive on heat - this type is often referred to as a 'Bolivian' fuchsia, although it is native to the Carribean. It will tolerate temps as low as 20F for a brief period, although should receive some protection in colder weather -- not sure how critical that would be in SD :-))

If the plant becomes too leggy, you should cut it back. This will result in more compact growth and increased flowering. Regular fertilizing with an all-purpose liquid (MiracleGro will work fine) during the primary growing season will be appreciated.

Thanks for the replies. I stopped checking this forum as I had not seen any replies for a while and reposted in the CA gardening forum.

The thing that is not clear to me is whether this plant is supposed to die in winter and then regrow in spring. Also what puzzled me a bit is that during the summer while it was hot it looked quite lush but in winter it looked kind of roasted. But I have to say that it is starting to look a lot better now - there is new growth and it is starting to look fresh.

I did not fertilize it for most of last year but the advice I have seen is that they need fert. I fertilized with some EB Stone Organics general purpose plant food.

Not sure what you mean by "die in winter and regrow in spring". If it's dead, it's dead :-)) Hardy fuchsias can actually become small to midsize shrubs and will retain a woody framework of branches and small stems throughout winter. But most will lose their leaves, at least in colder climates where they remain hardy. In a very mild climate like yours, it might very well hold most of its foliage through the winter.

New growth would indicate it is indeed hardy in your climate. It may be appropriate to do some pruning but I'd wait until it is fully leafed out and then remove any dead wood or branches that do not have foliage. It won't hurt to trim it back, either -- tends to make the plant bushier and more compact and often increases flowering potential.

Not a great idea to fertilize outdoor plants in winter - most are in a period of stasis or rest (dormancy or semi-dormancy) and can't assimilate any fertilzers. Better to do so in spring when growth begins in earnest or in late summer/early fall when roots are most active.

Sorry - what I meant was I was not sure if it was supposed to shed the leaves in winter and then regrow in spring :).

Yes it seems like in my case it just held the leaves during winter although they did not look fresh as my photo shows. Actually it is starting to grow quite vigorously now with many more new leaves and flowers. That said more of the old leaves are falling off.

I guess I will want until all the new leaves appear and then prune any dead branches as suggested.

Maybe I should have explained the difference between "die" and "die back". "Die" means die, adios. The only thing that will kill fuschias apart from disease is hard frost. "Die back" means weaker stems will shrivel and lose their leaves. This can happen whether there is any frost or not. Fuchsias respond very well to pruning, however, so its not a bad idea not only to cut back some of this "dieback" but also trim some of the lankier growth in general during the winter months. - Ian.