Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Fuchsia 'Voodoo' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Voodoo fuchsia, double upright fuchsia (Fuchsia 'Voodoo').

More about fuchsia 'voodoo'

About Fuchsia 'Voodoo'

Fuchsia 'Voodoo' · also called Voodoo fuchsia, double upright fuchsia · flowering

Fuchsia 'Voodoo' is a striking upright cultivar renowned for its large, fully double flowers with deep crimson sepals and rich, dark purple petals — among the most intense colour combinations in the genus. It is grown as a showpiece patio container plant or trained as a standard. Regular high-potash feeding sustains the large double blooms. Not listed as toxic by the ASPCA.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Bud drop: Large double buds are particularly sensitive to heat, drought, and sudden temperature changes. Maintain cool, stable conditions and consistent watering.

The reasons fuchsia 'voodoo' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming fuchsia 'voodoo' traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding fuchsia 'voodoo' a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get fuchsia 'voodoo' to flower

Maximise sun. Give fuchsia 'voodoo' the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for fuchsia 'voodoo' and get the feeding right with the fuchsia 'voodoo' fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Fuchsia 'Voodoo' flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full fuchsia 'voodoo' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Fuchsia 'Voodoo' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my fuchsia 'voodoo' flower?

Fuchsia 'Voodoo' blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make fuchsia 'voodoo' bloom?

Give fuchsia 'voodoo' the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does fuchsia 'voodoo' normally bloom?