Fuchsias and other sub-shrubs can be cut back in March and April, once all risk of frost has passed.
Sub-shrubs are halfway between herbaceous perennials, which die back in winter, and shrubs, which make self-supporting wood. Leaving the previous season’s growth in place over winter affords a little extra insulation to the lower parts of stems. Here, the plants retain the ability to re-grow from leaf joints or ‘nodes’, even if there are no obvious buds.
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