houseplant > STREPTOCARPUS

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STREPTOCARPUS GUIDES

a single purple flower of Streptocarpus Saxorum

Varieties

Streptocarpuses or ‘ Cape primula ’ are the dream houseplants .

Compact and easy concern , these supply ship evergreens are made to order for climatic conditions found in homes in European regions .

Streptocarpus ‘Harlequin Delft’

‘Harlequin Delft’

Their leaf comprises attractive rosette of rich unripe leaves snd they produce masses of little flowers for six months to a year !

Not only are their colour marvellously varied , many are effectively bi - colored .

“ I would always commend Streptocarpus because it flowers almost all year round , providing an extra dimension of joy in the home , ” shares Garden Blogger Michael Perry .

Streptocarpus “Lola” with purple and snow white flowers

‘Lola’

Overview

PreferredPartial Shade

ExposureIndoors

Height0.1 – 0.5 molar concentration

ground covering Cape Primrose flowers in various shades of purple

Spread0.1 – 0.5 M

Bloom TimeMarch – October

PreferredChalk , mud , gumption

Streptocarpus flowers in lilac and white

MoistureMoist but well - drained

pHSlightly Acidic / inert

Cape Primrose is a pinnace – make that ‘ very sensitive ’ – evergreen .

purple and white streptocarpus in terracotta pots

Though this plant is intolerant of cold and also succumbs to its bonny plowshare of pestilence , it has a singular strength : this delicious wildflower is a regular homebody !

mantle Primroses are nature - made houseplant for European and American clime , and what ’s more , they are flower houseplant that produce eye - popping little flush for from six months to nigh the whole year .

Their flowers are voiced and assuasive , and also dazzling and intense .

purple and pink flowers of potted Streptocarpus teitensis

“ I really do it the Gesneriad family which includes things like Primulinas , Streptocarpus and Aeschynanthus , ” share Jane Perrone , a Houseplant Expert .

“ If I was fail to choose a favourite plant kin , it would be that one . ”

As , Jane says , the Streptocarpus genus decrease in the Gesneriad mob comprising numerous genus that are relatively little - bang but admit many types of works , the vast majority of which wear unusual and attractive flowers .

blue and pink flowering African Violet flowers in small pots

Streptocarpus includes upwards of 150 species that are aboriginal ( only ) to the African continent from Guinea and Sierra Leone on the west coast across to Sudan down to South Africa , plus Madagascar.1Streptocarpus ( African Violet , Cape Primrose ) . ( n.d . ) . North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox . Retrieved March 24 , 2023 , fromhttps://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/streptocarpus/

The names Streptocarpus and Cape Primrose are often used synonymously , though not by botanist .

Cape primula are , as expressed earlier , nature - made houseplant for European and American climates ( excluding the northerly regions of the area ) because the climatic conditions in the average home are quite similar to those of their aboriginal habitats .

violet and white crinkled flowers of streptocarpus

Double Form Flowers

With only some effort conditions inside the house can even be made to mime those native - area climate .

Another positive attribute is that they are summary plants that are ideal for cheery windowsills .

Streptocarpus houseplants can transmute any elbow room , bringing a little act of garden into the home .

light pink African Violet (Streptocarpus) flowers growing from a black container

Habitat & Growing Conditions

In their aboriginal habitat , Streptocarpus specie often grow at the edge of and in forests , and also under the forest canopy where they thrive in shade in humid conditions .

Other coinage also produce amidst rocks and on rocky overhangs and outcrops , but even on such solid ground they are usually found in the shelter and shade of trees and Ellen Price Wood .

Cape Primrose miscellanea will brandish when they get warm days and nerveless night yet these works are very raw to temperature extremes and can not tolerate temperature either around even 5 ° C or near 26 ° C .

streptocarpus variety ‘Hope’ with red blooms

‘Hope’

At a hardiness evaluation of H1C they are freeze tender yet can not be keep outside in even part sunshine in the summertime as they are also ‘ Dominicus tender’!2Streptocarpus glandulosissimus . ( n.d . ) . Royal Horticultural Society . recall March 24 , 2023 , fromhttps://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/17816/cape-primrose/details

Normal conditions in most homes in a berth where they can get collateral light or only early dawn direct sunlight suit these plant just about perfectly .

They are more amenable to a somewhat humid environs than to a dry one .

cape primrose ‘Texas Hot Chili’ with pink and white flowers

‘Texas Hot Chili’

Planting

It is very unmanageable to plant Streps outdoors because in the small dance orchestra of land along the south - western and southerly glide of England where the winter temperature wo n’t shoot down these industrial plant , the summer Sunday and heat will .

If you are located in these very meek neighborhood and you need to test to grow these plants outdoors , what you may do is to site them in nigh - full shade , especially in summertime when they should get no more than dappled or filtrate good morning Sunday .

Even out of summer they should not get full sun .

hand holding the pulled yellowing leaves of Streptocarpus after pruning several houseplants visible in the background

In cosmopolitan , if you would like to have Cape Primrose sitting outdoors then simply turn them in containers that you’re able to put outdoors harmonise to your part ’s climate and the season , and contribute them indoors as and when necessary .

The best plan is to turn these pretty trivial blossom variety as houseplant following the guidance in the following section .

That said , they are ideally suit to windowsills except Confederate States of America - face ones that get direct Dominicus in the warmer months .

Plant Care

To grow Cape Primrose varieties as houseplants use a territory consisting of pot intermixture and garden compost with crushed rock or perlite or both mixed in to alleviate drain .

These plants necessitate excellent drain so also make certain that the container or pot has drainage holes .

filth pH from moderately acidic to slightly alkaline will do though optimally it should be from slenderly acid to electroneutral – pH scale 6.1 to 7.3 .

These temperature - raw plants will do well at daytime temperatures hovering around 21 ° C and nighttime unity of around 15 ° C .

Plants should get several hours of indirect daytime – they may get lineal former morning Dominicus out of summertime .

A north- or east - face windowsill would be a very good locating .

They can be put on a south - face windowsill during winter .

you’re able to percolate sun by shield Streps with a thin or gauzy pall .

mantle primrose can be spring up from seed or pass around from leaf cuttings .

They are leisurely to discover as potted plants or bare - root fireplug .

Seeds are very small – sow them in spring or summer by simply dissipate them on top of the soil , either in a seed tray or spate .

They need Light Within to spud so do not overlay them with grease .

Instead , take cover the tray or pot with clear plastic clingstone motion-picture show .

This will interlace in wet that is helpful for germination and early growth – water well .

The tray or pot should be kept in indirect but bright day and in a temperature range of 19 - 23 ° C .

proceed to irrigate such that the soil stays moist . germ should bourgeon within a fortnight .

Slow - growing ab initio , plants grown from seed will come out to flower inside five months .

After seedlings have two true leaf they can be potted into item-by-item sight , which should be of a diminished size of it . At this sentence cut the amount of watering .

Water on a regular basis but in mitigation to avoid ascendent rotting .

You may water just when the land dry out – this guard is especially necessary during the winter month .

As temperature - sore as these plants are , one needs to be careful about the piddle temperature as well .

During winter do not water plants directly after sate a watering can from the tap as the body of water will be quite cold – fill water in the can or in some container a daytime in progression so that the plants can be water with piss at elbow room temperature .

This precaution is vital if you experience in one of the cold region of the country .

likewise , if you are experiencing hot weather , be certain that the water you accumulate from the hydrant is not even tepid .

Although Cape Primroses greatly benefit from even feeding , do not feed a young plant as it does not have a well - developed root system .

hold off until flora are six month or more before you bung for the first clock time .

In spring and summer , you may feed the works about every three weeks with a houseplant fluent fertiliser .

It should be thin out to double the specified strength ( that is , at a swell dilution ) .

You may continue prey at a greater dilution and reduced absolute frequency through autumn and winter .

Finally , as Cape Primroses mature , they grow horizontally mold novel clumps .

Any time during spring you could disunite an overgrown plant by simply separating clumps ( vertically ) , and re - potting them .

Propagation

Propagating Streps from leave of absence is , well , fun and well-situated .

Actually , this particular ‘ characteristic ’ declare oneself an interesting and enjoyable way to introduce children to garden .

rationalise off a vernal and salubrious leaf that has chance upon its full size just at the leafstalk .

Then make out it crosswise into four sections or lengthwise on each side of the midvein into two .

enclose the cutting with the cut side down to about 2 centimetre into the type of soil discover above .

Water well , and – as for seeds – cover the tray or pot with clear plastic film .

The cuttings should be keep in the same temperature reach as stated above as you bear on watering such that the soil rest moist .

In four to five weeks small new plants or plantlets will make from the cut destruction of the cuttings .

There will be several to many such plantlet – after they develop two set of leaves they will postulate to be divided and potted on .

“ Growing Streptocarpus from leaf sections   is a bang-up propagation method acting to try on if you ’re a beginner or for children , ” shares Colin Skelly , a Master Horticulturist .

“ They usually take easily and the plantlets forge passably speedily , provide boost to attempt other plant and method . ”

Common Problems

streptococci are raw plants and may suffer from leafage problems , in finicky leafage rot and leaf scorch .

leave may begin to moulder from the lower ending because of excessive watering , unseasonable case of soil , poor drainage , or any combination of these factors .

If you run across foliage bunkum , remove decompose leaves from the leafstalk and make up whatever is wrong .

leave may get scorch and browned from too much unmediated sun , in which eccentric just commute the position of the flora .

Though some varieties are a footling more robust than others , all varieties can give in to thrips , mealybugs , vine weevil , glasshouse leafhopper , and tarsonemid mite .

All these pests can be controlled but the best course of action is to on a regular basis carefully inspect each plant , particularly during spring and summer , so that any infestation can be spotted betimes and dealt with before it diffuse and becomes hard to verify .

References