I have never lost one even with temps down to 8 a couple of years ago. Moonraker seems especially tough keeping its leaves through milder winter. I have found that some of the pinks and those with chartreuse foliage lose their leaves and have some die back but I've never lost one, not even young ones left in pots on benches. I wonder what happened to yours? Could it have been planted too late in the season for its rrots to get started before the bad cold snap in November hit? jwww

Cape Fushsia's are hardier than Usda zone 8.... They are currently surviving in a cold Locations in Ohio and Indiana and survive as far north as Southern Ontario Canada where temps can fall as low as -20F....These were all planted in exposed locations... but with the protection of only mulch.... so Cold hardiness is not the issue.... it could be a number of things... The shade in the winter may be the problem..... or maybe the plants you got were not from hardy stock.....???

I think you may have gotten a bad specimen also. I have a pink cape fuschia close by my driveway that I have accidently run over on more than one occasion. Only on the side closest to the driveway though. It is thriving, I need to cut it back in the summer, and is being divided into more cape fuschias. It is Trewidden Pink. Susan (drtdgr)

A general guideline -- The younger the plant (of whatever kind), the more frost-sensitive.

Likely you lost those cape fuchsias because they weren't yet well established.

Mine were great and getting bigger for a number of years, but in the last 2 years many were damaged over winter and barely came back or died. I'm wondering if they are just not very long-lived. I used to like them but they are not on my re-buy list, as they get too rank as they get older. They do bloom a long time and the hummingbirds love them when they are doing good, though.

I'm not sure I'd consider Phygelius to be particularly short-lived. I have a Devil's Tears that is going on 15 years old, a transplant of a division given to me by a gardening friend that even spent the better part of a growing season in a plastic bag while I found an appropriate home. I grow a number of other cultivars as well and all have performed admirably. Although I find the flower color very appealing, Sensation (or New Sensation) is one of the least vigorous in my collection, growing quite slowly and loosing 95% of its foliage each winter. But even it comes back faithfully from the base and blooms well - just may never amount to a very impressive planting.

"Rankness" or legginess can be alleviated by cutting the plants back hard each spring. Or you could investigate the newer Croftway series that are smaller and more compact than some of the older cultivars.

And I'd agree with Jean that a late season planting with insufficient time for establishment could result in winter failure.

Personally, Phygelius is not a plant I'd be without in my garden for a very long bloom season and for its appeal to hummingbirds.

I love Pygelius..have had Moonraker for about 5 years and started expanding my collection last year. The hummingbirds don't pay any attention to Moonraker, but they love the others I've planted. They root easily from cuttings (I've been successful with green wood cuttings) and I have the new Croftway 'Snow Queen'...the first white cultivar. My Sensation was slow to get started, but & dug & divided it about a week ago...you should see the new suckers that were fanning out from the main stem! The more mature stems are already budded...I think the color is fantastic.

I also agree...I may see some over-winter dieback, but have not had any of them winterkill.

Patrick