Your plant recommendations from expert plantsman, Michael.
Gesneriad. No, I’m not sneezing, I’m telling you about a plant you might not have heard of. Although you probably have. The Gesneriad family feature many old favourites- from Streptocarpus to Saintpualia and I’m recommending them as the perfect way to lift those winter blues.
Gesneriads come in almost every colour of the rainbow, and are easy to grow (as long as you don’t overwater them.) Sounds like the perfect houseplant! They were very popular in the 80’s, and I remember propagating many with my grandma. But, somehow, they fell out of favour whilst everyone salivating over Calathea, Anthuriums and all the showy leaf plants.
Well, just like Strictly Come Dancing, Kate Bush tracks, and lycra, Gesneriads are having a long overdue revival in 2024. And when you think of Gesneriads, there’s only one place to go for varieties and expertise, and that is Dibleys in North Wales.
Here’s the pick of their crop for this season:
Streptocarpus ‘Crystal Dawn’
Years ago, breeding programmes resulted in an array of available colours and forms. However, flowering performance was sometimes lacking until the arrival of the ‘Crystal Ice’ Series. Launched to great fanfare at a January RHS show, this absolute beauty will bloom all year round.
The perfect marriage of genetics, ‘Crystal Dawn’ is a pink selection, with slender, somewhat more tidy, foliage than some of its siblings. The flowers are also a little slimmer, with the look of a foxglove, with gorgeous markings. An excellent plant for a position in filtered light (i.e. your dining table), which could easily outflower a Phalaenopsis… awkward…!
Kohleria ‘Strawberry Fields’
I am so in love with the flowers of this plant. ‘Strawberry Fields’ is a newish hybrid which flowers from May to October, which offers fantastic value.
All parts of Kohleria are fuzzy. Plants can become tall and gangly, but a little prune here and there can encourage a better shape. Again, keep in bright indirect light, water only when dry and feed to help ensure you the best of the blooms.
Saintpaulia ‘Nitida’
I have such fond memories of my grandma’s African Violets on the windowsill, and it was probably one of the first plants I experienced propagation with. They’ve been ubiquitous in homes up and down the land for many years, but have you ever seen one as small and cute as ‘Nitida’?
I am a huge fan of the indigo blue flowers and general ‘botanical appearance’ of Nitida, and it makes me want to plant up an indoor fairy garden, just because.
Achimenes ‘Veronika Gotmanova’
A Mexican plant which usually grows in forests halfway up a mountain, Achimenes may be more familiar to you as the ‘Hot Water Plant’. But please go for room temperature water only.
‘Veronika Gotmanova’ is a fantastic variety, with as much flower power as a Petunia. Blushed pink flowers clothe the stems from late spring to autumn. Plants can be a little bit lax, so might appreciate support, or why not try growing them in baskets.
Petrocosmea Hybrids
Now here’s something quite new, but which has become very quickly popular. A Chinese native, which creates a felted rosette of leaves. Bunches of flowers are also produced – but during the winter time. Quite a hardy plant, often grown as an alpine, so will be quite happy in the cooler rooms of your home! You’ll find them quite collectable once you get started.
Alsobia dianthiflora
Introducing the lacy fantasy that is Alsobia dianthiflora! A quirky Gesneriad with scalloped, felted foliage. In fact, I recently noticed it for sale purely as a foliage plant when I was over in The Netherlands.
The flowers are stunning. It works well as a display in baskets or wall planters.
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