Fuchsia plants are pretty popular and you might love having one in your garden area. They look like fairly delicate plants, but they’re pretty hardy overall.
The fact that fuchsia plants are somewhat hardy doesn’t mean that they’re invincible, though. If you noticed that the fuchsia plant’s leaves are starting to curl, then you might be worried about what’s going on.
Why would a fuchsia plant’s leaves suddenly start to curl? Is it a sign that you did something wrong?
Read on to get more information about fuchsia plants and why the leaves might start curling. If you figure out what’s happening, then you might be able to turn things around to keep the plant healthy.
1 – Pest Issues
It’s most likely the case that pests are causing your fuchsia plant to have issues. When a fuchsia plant has its leaves start to curl, it’s often a sign that it is being attacked by various pests.
This plant is susceptible to many different pests. Aphids are some of the most common garden pests that you’ll need to be concerned with.
They seem to love attacking fuchsias and they wind up sucking the life out of them. An aphid will use its mouth to suck the fuchsia plant until its leaves start to curl.
Luckily, taking care of problems with aphids won’t be super tough. In some cases, you can just wipe them off of the leaves.
If you want to try to get aphids to stay away from your plants, then it’s wise to treat them with neem oil. Neem oil is completely natural and it’s a safe way to keep pests from bothering your plants.
There could be other pests that are bothering your fuchsia plants, too. For instance, greenflies are known to like messing with fuchsia plants.
The prevention methods will all be very similar no matter what pest you’re dealing with. If you have significant pest issues, then it might be prudent to look into insecticide options.
Just save that as a last resort since insecticide will also kill beneficial garden insects. Hopefully, you’ll be able to protect the plants with neem oil and everything will be okay.
2 – Diseases
Diseases might cause the leaves to curl as well. There are some diseases such as Verticillium wilt and Pythium root rot that are known to cause leaf curling issues.
Verticillium wilt will likely be easy to spot because it causes very specific things to happen to fuchsia plants. When a fuchsia plant has Verticillium wilt, it’s going to cause the foliage to turn yellow, pale green, or brown.
This process usually starts on just one side of the plant. Eventually, the disease will start to worsen and you’ll see leaves start to curl.
The leaves will eventually shrivel up completely and they will fall off of the plant. Sadly, this is a disease that often proves to be deadly.
There are viral diseases that are known to cause leaf curling, too. Impatiens necrotic spot virus is one of the worst ones.
When a fuchsia plant is having issues with this virus, its leaves will begin to curl. You’ll also be able to see spots on the leaves and the growth of the plant will be stunted.
This disease is actually spread by pests known as thrips. It’s possible that thrips could have messed with your fuchsia plants and caused them to get impatiens necrotic spot virus.
You can try to keep thrips in check using neem oil or insecticidal soap. Beneficial insects such as ladybugs will also help to keep thrips at bay.
Sadly, if your fuchsia plant has this virus, then it’s just going to need to be discarded. You’re not going to be able to save the plant.
3 – Not Watering the Plant Correctly
Not watering the plant correctly could cause the leaves to curl too. It probably won’t surprise you to hear that not watering a plant enough will cause it to droop.
The way that the plant looks won’t necessarily look the same as the leaf curling that occurs when pests or diseases are impacting the plant. Even so, it’s worth noting that watering issues can change the way that the leaves look.
If you haven’t been paying much attention to the fuchsia plant, then you might have missed a few watering sessions. The leaves could be curling as a sign that the plant desperately needs water.
Fuchsia plants need to be watered when they dry out. This means that how often you water the plants will depend on various factors.
You can’t just water the plant on a schedule and expect things to be fine. It’s better to physically check on the condition of the soil to see how things are going.
Confirm that the soil is getting dry before you water the plant. Sometimes fuchsia plants might need to be watered once or twice per week, but how hot it is will play a role in determining that.
Remember that fuchsia plants in containers will likely need to be watered more often. So long as you’re a proactive plant owner, it should be easy to avoid wilting issues brought on by not watering the plant the right way.
Final Thoughts
Taking care of your fuchsia plant is of the utmost importance if you want it to be able to thrive. When you notice that the plant’s leaves are curling, it’s going to be best to try to figure out what’s wrong.
It’s most likely the case that pests are causing the leaves to curl. Common garden pests such as aphids love to suck on fuchsia plants.
They’ll drain the plants and cause the leaves to curl dramatically. Controlling aphids won’t be too difficult, but you will want to take action soon for the sake of your plants.
Consider using something such as neem oil on the plants to control aphids as well as other pests. You can use insecticide if you feel that it’s necessary, but this will also kill beneficial insects.
Plant diseases will be the next most common reason for leaf curling in fuchsia plants. If your plant is diseased, then you almost certainly aren’t going to be able to save the plant.
When you determine that the plant is diseased, you can try cutting the curled leaves to see if it responds in any way. Truthfully, it’s going to be better to just discard the plant and get rid of the soil.
You don’t want the disease to spread to any other plants. Try to take action quickly so that no other plants become diseased.
Finally, watering issues can sometimes cause plants to droop. You might notice a bit of leaf curling if you haven’t been watering the fuchsia plant right.
Do your best to keep an eye on your fuchsia plant and things should be fine. You can try to prevent diseases and protect the plants from pests moving forward.
Growing up with a mom who filled her home (inside and out) with all sorts of plants, Lisa got her start in gardening at a young age. Living now on her own with a home and yard full of plants (including an indoor greenhouse), she shares all the gardening tips she’s gained over the years.
Before you go: Now is the perfect time to start tracking your gardening progress, and I created a garden journal to do exactly that. Click the image below to see it in action and to get your own copy.
