Joe Shaw asked about Fuchsia suitable to his Houston, Texas climate. Do you know the old Fuchisa triphylla hybrid called Gartenmeister Bonstedt? This won't get you the sort of bragging rights that come with rarities such as the wild forms of Fuchsia decidua and F. fulgens, but if you are looking for a heat/humidity tolerant and very ornamental Fuchsia, a plant with real éclat, this is it. Superficially, it is similar to Fuchsia fulgens. In this area, rooted cuttings are commonly available in the late winter or spring from dealers in bedding plants. I grow it as a pot plant; under those conditions it forms a roughly three foot bush which begins to bloom in July (now). Our weather conditions are not that much different from yours at this time of year: 90+ degrees F during the day and 80 degrees F at night with suffocating humidity and often no significant cool off. This Fuchsia can take those conditions well. It will bloom from now into the new year, long after it has been brought in for the winter. And it blooms profusely - there will be hundreds of flowers in hanging clusters during the next five or six months. During the winter it loses most of its foliage - perhaps more in response to the dry household conditions than to any natural growth cycle - and I let it dry out gradually and water it enough to keep it alive. It seems to be very forgiving. There will sometimes be flowers long after most of the foliage has fallen. After its winter rest it may require a bit of trimming to remove dry, dead growth. It's also very ornamental. The flowers are about two inches long and tubular, an odd shade of glowing red which is hard to photograph in my experience. The individual flowers are superficially similar in size and color to those of Lonicera sempervirens. Hummingbirds love it. Incidentally, the foliage of this plant has a red-bronze flush against which the flowers contrast beautifully. I seem to remember reading in a German gardening magazine that it can be wintered by digging a pit, putting the plant in horizontally, and then covering it completely. I have not tried this. I wouldn't be surprised if it survived the winter here outside right against the house wall with a very heavy mulch - but then you would lose the taller branches. You should have no trouble bringing the crown of the plant through a winter in Houston, although I'm not sure what will happen to the taller branches. During the summer it grows out on the deck with am eastern exposure; it gets sun in the morning, bright indirect light for the rest of the day. But for this plant I would have given up on Fuchsia long ago. By all means save a spot for Fuchisa decidua and F. fulgens in the hope that they will be available and grow for you. But in the meantime, give the Gartenmeister a try. I doubt if you will be disappointed. Jim McKenney Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, USDA zone 7, where the first flowers of the year are appearing on Gartenmeister Bonstedt.