Does anyone have these plants for trade? I had them in a pot and they did really well, but planted them in the ground last year and they never came back. Dmail me with your 'wish' list if you have these.
Gloxinia sylvatica
Hey there!
The plant that you are talking about has been transferred to a new genus a while ago and is now Seemannia sylvatica. It's a rhizomatous relative if the African Violet and, if given some moist mix, a semi shady and warm spot, will do great outdoors in Summer.
The plant propagateseasily by seed, cuttings, runners and rhizomes and as soon as the weather gets warmer, I can certainly send you a piece. :)
This is how the clone that I'm growing looks like:
Wonderful! If you have a 'wish' list, OTHER than this type of plant, Dmail it to me and I'll see if there's anything I can send you. Let's correspond via dmail so I can keep track of this - I'm excited!!! Thanks!
I have tried these several times and mine always have bloomed and looked wonderful during the winter but they melted and disappeared during the summer. They were in a shady spot but they just could not handle the humidity.
I think that it's more the heat than the humidity that bithers them. They also HATE to dry out, just like many others among the rhizomatous Gesneriads. I grow mine in a fish tank year round and they love it. However, I've had a big plant just melt in the Summer heat last year for no apparent reason... Since they are very easy to propagate by cuttings, it's always good to have backups.
Oh, one more thing: Kohlerias are related but much less fussy. :)
Here's my S. sylvatica getting ready to bloom again:
Good to know about the Kohlerias, I was not familiar with them. The pictures on Google are gorgeous. Sadly, it is too hot to grow them outdoors here.
They will need protection from midday sun but they should do fine in dappled shade in your area. My Kohlerias (about two dozen) have to suffer through several weeks of triple digit temperatures indoors every year and don't mind it at all. As long as you keep them moist at all times (and I mean MOIST and AT ALL TIMES as they are very thirsty plants when in growth) and well fed, they shouldn't be too problematic.
A tall, old fashioned hybrid, K. 'Dark Velvet' has been my battle horse for several years now. Outdoors, it has proven to be quite heat, sun and drought resistant.
Particularly the taller, harder leaved varieties like 'HCY's Jardin De Monet', 'Dark Velvet', 'Kapo', 'Cinnamon Toast', 'Beltane' etc. should work outdoors as Summer bedding plants in your area. As Fall approaches, you can either dig up some of the plentiful rhizomes and store them or simply root some tips (they root in water or mix within days) to grow indoors for the Winter.
I just had the chance to look at images of the plant - beautiful!
Here are some more Gesneriad pictures in general but Sinningia and Kohleria pictures in particular.
http://www.dollyyeh.idv.tw/picture_other.htm
Not that I'm trying to push Gesneriads here or anything... LOL
I'm sad that there's no place to buy these beauties for a decent price!
Yes, there is! :)
www.violetbarn.com
www.lyndonlyon.com
www.kartuz.com
www.davesviolets.com
violets4you is a seller on ebay who sells them from April on forward and her rhizomes are always good!
And there are probably a lot more vendors that I just can't think of right now...
WOW! I looked at these sites and a plant would cost a LOT more than is in my wallet - guess I will just drool over yours!
Or you just wait for Spring when I'm usually drowning in cuttings... LOL
There's definitely going to be enough to get you started.
For example, just yesterday, I started five large pots of rhizomes of my favorite Kohleria, K. 'Strawberry Fields' and about two dozen cuttings each of K. 'Manchu' and K. 'Dark Velvet'... :)
You should take a look at 'Manchu' and 'Strawberry Fields' and let me know what you think...
Kay,
Check your Lowes, saw these in 1 gallon pots at ours the other day for $6.00......
Martha, I am at Lowes nearly every day - they don't get anything in the Gessie genre but african violets.
BS, those are just to die for - BEAUTIFUL - all of them! I have spent LOTS of time on that Japanese site, looking and drooling!
Kay these were outside....in the garden section. Maybe it's still too cool up there for your Lowes to get them in.
I grow mine where it gets dappled sun/shade outside in the summer, moved the big pot inside the greenhouse when it's going to be below 40º and keep it on the brighter side of the gh. I have a small one inside that I divided from the large one late in the fall. They love growing under lights too.
All the Seemannia species and cultivars do great under lights but keeping up the humidity and the fact that they grow a bit tall for most light stands can be a bit of a challenge. However, the plants can take a hard pruning and can also restarted by cuttings easily.
I grow both S. sylvatica and S. nematanthodes here in Chicago under lights and have seeds of S. purpurascens down. They are all generally easy and have some pretty cool flowers:
http://gesneriads.ca/genseemannia.htm
Of course, I forgot S. gymnostoma, which I am still looking for... LOL
And here are some pictures of different Seemannias grown outdoors in Summer:
http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=12853714@N08&q=seemannia
ohhhhhh, I like the Seemannia purpurascens, Just went on my wish list !!
On my list too MJ .. I've just recently gotten into Gesneriads - the Sinningia's just knock my socks off!
LOL..ok...you let me know if you find it and I'll let you know if I find it...
Absafragginlutely!
One thing cool about these also is they will bloom when they are small.
True! As with many other rhizomatous Gesneriads (Kohleria, Achimenes, Diastema, Amalophyllon etc.), they can put on a little show even when they're just started. I have some Kohlerias coming up from their rhizomes and they're about 2-3" tall and already full of buds... :)
Kohleria 'Peridots Kitlope' x 'Pink Shadows':
The flowers will look like this:
Y'all need to come and visit the "African Violet And Gesneriads" here on DG! ;)
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/av/all/
I have my S. sylvatica planted under a birdbath which sits underneath the heavy shade of several Southern Redcedars. they get morning sun.
new growth begins popping up in late spring/early summer and by fall they begin blooming. they'll continue blooming until january when they die down and don't reappear again until spring/summer.
i also have S. nematanthodes 'Evita' (purchased from Plant Delights) and haven't had it a full year yet but it seems to be behaving the same way so far. PD says this one won't re-emerge until june. this one is more of a ground cover than the first one and has gone from two tiny plants this spring to easily covering a 5' x 5' area so far.
S. nematanthodes is altogether smaller than S. sylvatica and has more trailing stems.
It's not unusual for rhizomatous Gesneriads to take a break for several months. Just like pretty much any other perennial, you should divide the clumps every once in a while.
They all propagate VERY EASILY by cuttings, rhizomes or runners.
Oh, and they usually stay evergreen when grown under lights but can be cut back to the soil line, in case they should get leggy or too vigorous.
thanks. i will divide mine when they are more mature.
My S Sylvatica pops seeds in all my other pots. They come up in everything and are just so easy to grow!
Mine were gifted to me by Donna B several years ago and I just love them!