As we all know only too well (from trying to cram them all into our greenhouses) fuchsias do come in all shapes and sizes, with one of the most striking shapes, the corolla petals flaring saucer like, flat open, unfortunately not much in evidence anymore nowadays.
They are however well worth a try - you'd be delighted with the result.

Best known is perhaps the American Citation, which proved quite a talking-point when it was first introduced in the early fifties. It has large blooms with the four white petals flaring wide to saucer shape, and they are freely produced. The tube and sepals are a bright rose-pink. The flowers are beautifully shaped and the growth is bushy, upright and shapely too, making it quite suitable for the show bench - but, it is unfortunately also one of those most infuriating cultivars, that either does very well indeed or just won't grow for you, no matter how much tender loving care you lavish on it!
An easier proposition therefore, with similar rosy-red and white, but much stronger, colouring, is the aptly named Impudence. It is free flowering with medium sized flowers with the four round petals lying flatter than on Citation. Growth is upright, strong and bushy. It was introduced in 1957, raised in America too, by Schnabel, who a couple of years later also introduced the well known Ting-a-Ling. This large flowering pure white cultivar has the same reflexed sepals and flared petals though not nearly as flat, much more like the well-know Display in form. Like all whites (and so many pastel shades) it can be rather difficult to grow, being so susceptible to botrytis and beware, if insufficient shading is provided it will also take on a distinctly pink tinge! However, should you succeed in growing a plant of Ting-a-Ling well, it would be a great asset to any show.

Almost identical in shape to Impudence is Herman de Graaff's Loeky (pronounced loo-key!) The rhodonite-red sepals with recurved tips are horizontally held and the corolla is a exquisite, soft mallow purple. With very smooth petal edges it gives a beautiful flat open saucer shape. One of the Dutchman's best introductions, and not surprisingly named after his wife!

This very inspired Joy Patmore/Impudence cross was introduced in Holland in 1979 and subsequently in England a couple of years later, strongly recommended and then proving its worth on the show benches.

Open saucer shaped fuchsias have been in existence a long time though and it is hard to beat the old favourite Swanley Gem, which has been around since the turn of the century, is still going strong and promises to do so for many more years to come. As so many other ' golden oldies' it has characteristic strong colouring, the tube and sepals bright scarlet and the corolla clear violet. The medium sized flowers appear in great abundance on bushy plants and it is distinguished by the four petals laying really flat, forming a perfect circle. There consists some confusion about the raiser. It is usually attributed to Cannell, 1901, but more recent research seems to indicate that it was more likely to have been raised by E. Banks as long ago as the late 1870's and listed and distributed by Cannell. One thing is sure - it still is a wonderful fuchsia to grow!!
The most notable, fairly recent introduction of a saucer shape fuchsia was Paul Heaven's Look East - of really exquisite colouring. It has clear white well held sepals with recurving green tips and the corolla opens bishops-violet than maturing to a mallow imperial-purple. It is very free-flowering and extremely interesting and attractive. The medium sized flowers are fully flared flat open, saucer shape and they face upwards! Looking onto it, with its blue-mauve colour and where the petals meet and fade a little an almost white eye too, it really looks like a pansy or viola. Being such a self-branching, short-jointed small upright with neat mid-green foliage, it was thought to be very suitable for show work, but unfortunately has proved rather elusive at shows (Surely not too difficult, challenges like this should be relished!). A Florence Mary Abbott seedling, introduced by Goulding's in 1987.
Another not often seen but very attractive cultivar, similar in shape to Citation, in colouring to Swanley Gem and Loeky, is Kathryn Maidment. The rosy-red sepals fold back nicely, the corolla is violet, with deeper edging and paler in centre. The medium-sized flowers, very attractively flare out into saucer shape on maturity. Growth is again upright and quite vigorous. This Creer cultivar was awarded the B.F.S. Bronze Certificate of Merit posthumously at the 1980 B.F.S. Reading Show. Previously (in the late 60's) he had also introduced the Swanley Gem seedling Three Cheers. This cultivar has striking bright red and mauve-blue blooms with each of the circle forming petals having distinct white markings towards the base. Others that spring to my mind which may be worth considering are: E. Goulding's Lancelot (rosy-red and white, an improved Citation), Waxen Beauty (whitish Ting-a-Ling seedling), L'Ingenue red and fuchsia-purple floriferous Loeky seedling), U.F.O. (white and deep lilac) and Chris Crawshaw's Loeky/Eden Lady sister seedlings, Sister Ann Haley (rose & white) and Sarah Louise (rose & violet) and last but not least the oldies Lord Byron (scarlet & purple) and Dr. Topinard (rose & white). CD 1998