A frequent offender is rust -- a fungus spread by airborne spores that cling to fuchsia leaves. To identify rust on your fuchsia plant, look out for light, blotchy, yellow-colored spots on its leaves.

Rusts may be bad this year because of our wet August. It is easy to detect rust if you look at the backs of the fuchsia leaves, where you will see patches of light orange dust – rust spores.

Fuchsia rust is a disease caused by a fungus that spreads by airborne spores and reduces plant vigour. Rust may be seen all year on indoor fuchsias but in summer and early autumn outdoors.

Fuchsia can be susceptible to pests like aphids, fuchsia gall mite, fuchsia flea beetle, capsid bug, and vine weevil, as well as diseases such as fuchsia rust, grey moulds, and honey fungus.