To the best of my knowledge, these are all the same plant :-) And you can add to your list var. gracilis 'Variegata' (or sometimes just gracilis) and var. macrostemma 'Variegata'. The last is how this plant is labeled by Edwin Goulding in Fuchsias: The Complete Guide and I'd lean heavily to that as the preferred name. But there is obviously a great deal of confusion as to what is the correct taxonomy. I have bought this plant for my nursery from an assortment of vendors under all of the above names and they all look identical. It is one of my best selling hardy fuchsia varieties.

In our climate, best in some sun to maintain the intensity of variegation, although the newest foliage tends to produce the most contrast.

I was thinking they were all the same plant myself. Maybe someone else can tell us what the difference is between them. It has been known for a plant to have more then one name in the world of Fuchsias. In Mr. Boullemier's checklist both variegata and versicolor are mentioned, variegata received the R.H.S. Highly Commended Certificate at the 1960-62 Wisley Hardy Trials. versicolor was submitted for the 1975-78 R.H.S. Wisley Hardy Trials and although it gained the award of merit in the 1963-65 trials for flowers and foliage, it received no further award.

A......

hi,

No not all are the same. If you ever have seen a gracilis in real and compared it to magellanica then you will see that the leaves and the flowers are smaller.

regards,
H.J.

Sorry but I do not believe this last statement is correct. A variety of fuchsia societies as well as the RHS list both gracilis and macrostema as varietal forms of the species Fuchsia magellanica. And as is the case with many varietal forms, the species designation is often dropped and the name shortened to just the varietal form. Most authorities consider Fuchsia magellanica, Fuchsia gracilis and Fuchsia macrostema to be synonymous. And the variegated form under a variety of cultivar names ('Tricolor', 'Variegata', 'Folio Variegata', Versicolor', et al) is at various times and by various growers assigned to any or all of them. If there IS a difference between them (which I seriously doubt), I'd love to see some subtantive documentation to support this contention.

I also grow just the plain F. magellanica, F. magellanica var. molinae (formerly known as 'Alba' or 'Maiden's Blush') and F. magellanica 'Ricartonii' and the leaves and flowers on all are uniformly petite.......I'm not sure that size is any kind of significant indicator of specific variety.

hi looking at the bfs web site it says that there are aprox twenty differant magellanica a round going from frost tender to hardy i hope this helps to settle this matter

Referring to Gardengal48 with the botanical correct answer:
Varieties are somaclonatic variations of a species type (here of a fuchsia). They all bear the same Name before var. ......
example: F. magellanica. var. aurea 'Enstone'
F. magellanica. var. 'Gracilis'

To answer your statement about authorities and gracilies. 'Gracilis' is such a variant and not a species as you noted it in your response.

If you are referring to the old botanical naming system of Lindl - then I have to say that the accurate name is F. magellanica and not gracilis - and macrostema is accuratly F. magellanica (Ruiz.&Pav). I know that the diverse name for the same plant are sometimes a problem - especially for garden freaks. But please do not mix it up - as botanical life is hard enough. lol

regards,
H.J.

I have been lurking around the gracilis posts off and on for a couple years - I am trying to find a fuchsia I once grew with wonderful variegated leaves, white and pink with fantastic autumn colour and very graceful leaf habit. It grew to about 2-3 ft tall, not truly evergreen but hardy. The flowers were slim and I think red and purple, but not sure. I had it as a low hedge in a large raised bed, overhanging the edge - fabulous! Trying to replace it (varigated, versicolor?)all I am getting are pretty uninspiring leaves, no grace and very bleached out looking. Any ideas what variety I should be looking for?

I'm trying to clear up the doubt I have around two varieties of fuchsia that I supposed magellanica gracilis...(versicolor/ tricolor/ variegata...?), that resemble the same origine.

My first cultivar has PALE pink hues in spring new growth that later fade to white edge and grey-green foliage. The other plant differs on the DEEP burgundy spring growth that lasts longer. But finally becomes white variegated with inner parts in grey green. Flowers of the latter are more magenta saturated than on the first cultivar. The same arching manner, same flower size, same flower shape... is that just the result of selection of the same cultivar tha over the years has produced two variants different enough?

above, purple variety in summer

pale variety in summer