Hi Vicki,
Did you have this plant in a pot or in the ground? Hardy fuchsias need protection from frost if planted in pots. If the plant is in the ground it may appear dead, you could try scraping the bark away on some of the stems to see if there is any sign of green.

I bought this plant on sale in July or August.

I planted it in dappled sunlight and it was thriving.

I mulched with dry leaves and straw, the same as I do for roses.

We don't generally get hard freeze her until mid October and we had a fairly mild winter. Not even below zero at all.

I read somewhere that this plant is hardy only to zone 6 but then why would the tag say hardy down to -20?

Thanks
Vicki

Hi Viki,
The fuchsia you have is probably Fuchsia magellanica which I grow in my own garden. I have found it to be very hardy. This year some plants I left out in pots, not good practice, survived without problems. I would suggest that you leave the plant for a further week or two before discarding it. Sometimes fuchsias act like herbaceous plants and dieback to ground level before sprouting away from the base.
Best of luck

I have the same fuschia - I noticed yesterday that it is just beginning to bud - give it time.

Yes Vicky,
As you live in zone 5 it could be another month or so before the new growth is visible coming out of the soil. When this happens then you can remove the old growth to ground level - Kath :)

I don't think it is hardy to twenty below...fahrenheit or centigrade.
the label must be in error.

Sheila

Could well be the case Sheila - Kath :)

Magellanica is likely the hardiest of the species but still marginal in any zone below 7. Best to give it winter protection in lower zones as you would Hydrangea macrophylla. In colder zones, it can be root hardy but experience complete dieback of any above ground portions, so I'm not surprised you see no sighs of life on the stems. Even in my very mild climate, some hardy fuchsias are very late to bud out, so it is too early to write it off completely. I'd wait for a few more weeks - if alive, you should see new growth emerging at the base of the plant.