My fuchsia looks fine except that these older blooms look like something has been eating the petals (or sepals or tepals? I'm no botanist, sorry).

In the first photo, you can see that the flowers at the top have been damaged, but the newer ones at the bottom of the photo are fine:



Here's a closer look at some problematic flowers:



And a side view:



This is my only fuchsia (Fuchsia 'Sanihanf'), and it has been trouble-free so far.

Many thanks for any help you can give,
Virginia

That's so bizarre! I've never seen that on fuchsia petals (or any other kinds of petals, for that matter).

Thanks for having a look. I guess it's just one of those things, and hopefully, not anything chronic. The plant looks healthy other than those oddball flowers.

We did get a lot of rain just before the plant bloomed; perhaps that had something to do with it?

Thanks again,
Virginia

Hi, I don't have an answer for your damage, but I have a question....I'm in another part of S.C. and I was wondering if you bought the fuchsia sanihanf in the Charleston area? I haven't seen it in my area but I visit Charleston often. So if you found it at a nursery nearby, I would love to know. Thanks!

Are you aware than Sanihanf (sometimes spelled Sunihanf) is better known under its trade name: Angel Earrings® Cascading? It probably would be easier to find locally if you asked for it by that name.

sbailey, I didn't buy the plant- it was a gift, and I don't know where my friend got it.

The only source for it that I know of is Plant Delights, a nursery in Raleigh, NC:
https://www.plantdelights.com/...

As zuzu points out, it may also be available as 'Angel Earrings Cascading'. It seems to be distributed as a Proven Winners plant, so if there's a good nursery near you that sells Proven Winners, they might be able to order it for you?

Also, there are other heat-tolerant fuchsias in the Angel Earrings series.

It is heat-tolerant and hardy here (I'm on the cusp of 8b/9a). I've had it several years, and I do bring it inside if a freeze is forecasted because it did take a while for it to grow back after being winter-killed.

I hope this helps,
Virginia

could the damage be from acid rain ?

Strever, I agree that it almost looks like the flowers have been acid etched, but I doubt our rain is that acidic. I think I'd see a lot more of that kind of damage on my other plants.

The only other plant with a similar bleached effect is a Columbine quite near the fuchsia, so I'm inclined to suspect some sort of sucking-insect damage. It's too localized, I think, for it to be rain. I did see some leaf miner damage on a few plants nearby, and, really, it's Insect Central around here these days.

With all the rain, we have lots of fungal activity also; I suppose that's another possibility, but I think I'd see some sort of evidence.

Thanks for having a look,
Virginia

Virginia
the reason i went in that direction is it looks like all of the damage is in the bottom of cavitys
maybe you have sprayed something bad on them ? accidentally ?

No, I haven't sprayed anything at all. There is a live oak that shades the plants somewhat; possibly something going on up there dropping (or dripping) onto a few plants below?

I do think I'll move the pot to see if the problem persists.

Thanks,
Virginia

Just a quick follow-up. I moved the plant into a shady spot further under the tree, and the blooms look fine now. I think perhaps it was getting too much intense afternoon sun where it was before.

Virginia

Interesting. Thanks for the update.

I am glad to see that your fuchsia is doing better in a shadier area. At first, I was mystified because I have never seen this kind of damage on a fuchsia. I was tempted to blame slugs or snails prior to the bud opening, but they never bother fuchsias. But damage from intense sunlight through water droplets very well have done this if it was also a hot day. I grow upright fuchsias in the ground out in the full sun here and they do very well. But a hanging basket plant might be more susceptible to damage.