Streptocarpus: photos with names

Streptocarpus, or Cape primrose

There are hundreds of varieties of Streptocarpus. All of them mainly grow in the southern part of the African continent (as evidenced by the popular name of the flower - Cape primrose), as well as in Central and Eastern Africa, including Madagascar and the Comoros Islands. They were imported to Europe about 150 years ago, but the real boom began at the end of the twentieth century, when breeding work began to develop new hybrids and varieties. Currently, flower growers can choose streptocarpus with large and small flowers, painted in the most incredible shades of white, blue, lilac, yellow, burgundy; they can be fragrant and odorless, with simple flowers and with wavy petals at the edges.

In nature, streptocarpus can be found in forests, on shaded rocky slopes and in rocky cracks.

Streptocarpus is the closest relative of Gloxinia and Saintpaulia (Usambara violets). The genus belongs to the Gesneriev family, representatives of which usually grow in the wild as epiphytes or lithophytes. Cape primrose is found in wooded areas and grows in moist soil and light shade. Some species can be found on shaded rocky slopes, on the ground, in rock cracks and almost anywhere seeds can germinate.

Streptocarpus got its name due to the shape of the fruit, twisted in a spiral. Literally, the word "strepto" means "twisted" and "carpus" means fruit.

Modern hybrids only vaguely resemble natural species

Plants of the genus Streptocarpus have two main forms: multileaf and unifoliate. The first, in turn, has a rosette shape. These are perennial plants and are the ones most often grown indoors. The flowers of modern hybrids usually have a diameter of three to several centimeters and consist of five petals.

The second form has only one leaf growing from the base. Many species are monocarpic, they bloom only once, and after setting seeds they die, giving life to new plants. Although some are also perennial, that is, after the leaf dies, the flower produces a new one from the base, and the old leaf blade dies.

Monocarpics bloom once, giving life to new plants after the death of the set seeds.

Streptocarpus flowers are 2.5–3.5 cm in diameter and come in a variety of colors, ranging from white and pale pink to purple and violet, with all sorts of color combinations. The buds are tubular, in appearance they somewhat resemble a bell, they can have smooth or wavy edges, simple or double, decorated with cloves or scallops. Large leaves have an elongated shape and a velvety surface. The fruits are pods with small seeds.

“In captivity” Streptocarpus grows well, blooms and sets seeds. If you create suitable conditions for the flower, it will bloom for quite a long time and very profusely, as flower growers say - “with a cap”. Reproduction of the plant at home is also not difficult; streptocarpus can be grown from seeds, leaves, and even from small fragments of the leaf blade.

Natural species of streptocarpus

Currently, botanists have identified more than 130 species of streptocarpus. Some of the most popular are:

• Streptocarpus rexii (S. rexii). The plant is stemless, its distinctive feature is long pubescent leaves, the length of which reaches 25 cm. The flowers of the royal streptocarpus are colored purple, and there are purple streaks inside the throat.
• Streptocarpus stem (S. caulescens). A plant whose stem grows up to 50 cm in height. Its downward-sloping flowers have a soft blue tint.
• Kirk's Streptocarpus (S. kirkii). The leaves and flower stalks of the ampelous plant reach 15 cm and have a drooping shape. The buds of a light purple hue are collected in umbrella inflorescences.
• Streptocarpus Wendlandii (S. wendlandii). The flower has one large oval-shaped leaf, the length of which reaches 0.9–1 m. The wrinkled and pubescent leaf blade is colored green on top, and reddish-purple below. Flowers with a diameter of 5 cm bloom from the axils of a long peduncle. Streptocarpus Vendlana reproduces exclusively by seed; after flowering it dies.
• Streptocarpus rocky (S. saxorum). The plant is perennial. Its distinguishing feature is its woody base. The leaf blades are small and oval in shape. The shoots are twisted at the ends. Small lilac flowers bloom in spring and summer.
• Streptocarpus primulifolius (S. primulifolius). The plant belongs to the rosette species. The stem grows up to 25 cm in height, up to 4 flowers bloom on it, the petals of which are decorated with all kinds of dots, streaks and strokes.
• Streptocarpus johannis (S. johannis). Rosette type with straight stem. The leaves grow up to 50 cm in length and their width is 10 cm. About 30 lilac-blue flowers bloom on the peduncle.
• Streptocarpus major (S. grandis). A single-leaf species, its single leaf blade is quite large, growing up to 40 cm in length and 30 cm in width. The stem rises 0.5 m; flowers of a light purple hue with a darker throat and a white lower lip bloom at its top.
• Streptocarpus cornflower (S. cyaneus). The stems of the rosette plant reach 15 cm. The flowers are painted in different shades of pink and grow two per stem, the middle of the bud is painted yellow, the pharynx is decorated with different dots and stripes of purple color.
• Streptocarpus white (S. candidus). The leaf blades of the rosette plant grow up to 45 cm in length and reach 15 cm in width; the texture of the leaf surface is wrinkled and velvety to the touch. The snow-white flowers are decorated with yellow stripes, the throat is decorated with purple dots, and the lower lip is decorated with red strokes.
• Streptocarpus glandulosissimus (S. glandulosissimus). The stem of a plant of this species grows up to 15 cm in length. The buds are painted in different shades from purple to dark blue.
• Streptocarpus primrose (S. polyanthus). The plant is a single-leaved variety. The leaf blade is densely pubescent and grows up to 30 cm in length. The flowers, about 4 cm in size, are painted in various shades of blue with a yellow spot in the middle.
• Streptocarpus Holst (S. holstii). The flower has fleshy stems, the size of which reaches 50 cm. The leaf blades have a wrinkled texture, they reach 5 cm in length. The buds are painted purple, and their base is snow-white.

Photo gallery: Streptocarpus species

The flowers of the royal streptocarpus are purple in color, with purple streaks on the throat

Streptocarpus Wendlana reproduces exclusively by seed

Small lilac flowers of Streptocarpus rocky bloom in spring and summer

The petals of Streptocarpus primulolifolia flowers are decorated with all sorts of strokes and dots

About 30 lilac-blue flowers bloom on the peduncle of Streptocarpus johanensis

The stem of Streptocarpus major rises 0.5 m; flowers of a light purple hue with a darker throat bloom at its top

Streptocarpus stem flowers have a soft blue hue.

Streptocarpus Kirka is grown as a hanging plant.

Collection varieties and hybrids of streptocarpus

Currently, breeders are doing a lot of work to create spectacular hybrids and varieties of streptocarpus. More than a thousand varieties of domestic and foreign selection are known; it is, of course, impossible to describe all of them in one article; we will present only a few of them.

• Streptocarpus with flowers of rich dark purple shades with a velvety surface of the petals - varieties Dracula's Shadow, Thunderous Overture.
• Flowers with a fantasy pattern of strokes of different shades on plants of the Himera Pedro and Tarjar's Roger varieties.
• Flowers with the finest mesh (“vein pattern”) look incredibly impressive. Among the varieties whose buds have a similar color include Victorian Lace, Maja, Lisica, and Spring Dreams.
• DS-Kaya's Heart is a variety whose flowers have a matte white underside.
• DS-Meteor Shower - with blue-white upper petals and a yellowish-blue border around the edge.

Varietal diversity of streptocarpus in the photo

The Dracula's Shadow variety has magnificent flowers with velvety petals

Thunderstorm Overture - an excellent variety of domestic selection

The Himera Pedro variety has delicate flowers of different shades of lilac

Streptocarpus Tarjar's Roger has very showy flowers

Streptocarpus Victorian Lace flowers look like bright lace

Petals of Streptocarpus variety Maja are decorated with purple streaks

Lisica variety has wavy edges of petals

Spring Dreams - a variety of streptocarpus with incredibly delicate flowers

The petals of flowers of the DS-Kaya Heart variety are decorated with a mesh of dark veins

DS-Meteor Shower with small, bright colors and dark rays from the throat

Streptocarpus rocky photo

It can be grown either in the form of a small round bush or in an ampelous form. On long thin stems there are a large number of small rounded leaves and soft purple flowers with a long tube and five petals on the bent part.

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Table: requirements for growing streptocarpus at home

Campanula is also distinguished by its unpretentiousness and abundant flowering. You can learn more about this flower from the material:

Lifespan of Streptocarpus

For 1-3 years, streptocarpus has a decorative appearance and blooms profusely. After this period, the plant becomes less beautiful, and fewer buds appear. Therefore, streptocarpus needs to be updated.

Thanks to such a variety of hybrid varieties of streptocarpus, this indoor flower becomes a collector's item. Pots with different varieties can increasingly be found in the homes of both experienced and beginner flower growers. Streptocarpus breeding is on the rise, especially in the UK and USA. There these flowers are very widespread, but here they are just approaching the peak of popularity and are becoming fashionable indoor exotics among gardeners.

Caring for the "Cape primrose"

Streptocarpus is considered a non-capricious plant. All he needs is regular hydration and feeding.

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Watering

Watering the plant should be done regularly. Please note that the flower does not tolerate excessive moisture and overdrying of the soil very well. The water for irrigation is pre-settled for 24 hours and watered along the edge of the pot. An hour after the procedure, it is recommended to drain excess moisture from the pan.

Optimal soil moisture can be determined by performing a simple test. Blot the surface of the peat substrate with a paper napkin. If there are small spots of moisture on it, then the substrate is sufficiently moistened. If the surface of the soil in the pot is shiny and has a black tint, then such soil is too wet for streptocarpus, and the red color of the peat indicates the need for watering.

Feeding streptocarpus

Fertilizers should be applied every one and a half to two weeks, using liquid preparations for flowering plants. This will significantly increase the growth of streptocarpus, accelerate the appearance of buds and strengthen the flower’s immunity, which will help protect it from pests and diseases.

Kemira Lux and Etisso fertilizers are excellent for feeding. The only condition is that the solution should be diluted in a concentration two times less than indicated in the instructions.

Flowering and dormant period

As a rule, streptocarpus bloom in late April - early May. During this period, they need good lighting, but they must still be shaded from direct sunlight, otherwise the leaves may wither or get burned. It is recommended to systematically remove wilted flowers and peduncles; this will stimulate the appearance of new peduncles.

To ensure abundant flowering, you need to remove faded flowers and peduncles.

Streptocarpus does not have a rest period as such. But in winter, in order for the plant to gain strength before flowering again, it needs special conditions. At this time, the flower is kept at a temperature of +18 ° C and the amount of watering is reduced.

To stimulate flowering, the plant must be replanted in the spring into a fresh substrate, adding horse compost to it. Old and long leaves need to be shortened to 4–5 cm, which will stimulate the appearance of new leaf blades. Once the flower has developed a good amount of green mass, it will be ready to bloom. Please note that in order to get more abundant and long-lasting flowering, it is recommended to break off the first peduncle.

Table: problems when growing streptocarpus

If a plant does not bloom with good care, then the reason lies in the aging of the foliage. Each leaf can produce no more than 10 peduncles.

Reproduction by leaf fragment

This fragmentary leaf propagation has some complexity, but it is a fairly popular method. The spring season is optimal for propagation.

1. A well-developed, preferably young, leaf is separated from the plant and cut with a clean, sharp tool perpendicular to the central vein, forming pieces 5 cm wide. It is quite possible to get more than 10 children from one such fragment.
2. The fragments are planted 8 mm deep into the ground, leaving a distance of at least 3 cm between each other, and covered with film. Babies appear within 2 months. They will then need an additional few weeks of growth to separate them from the leaf.

More information about how to propagate streptocarpus with a fragment of a leaf is described in this video:

You will find more information about the reproduction of streptocarpus in a separate article.

Table: flower protection from diseases and pests

Photo gallery: diseases and pests affecting streptocarpus

A white coating on the plant indicates the appearance of powdery mildew.

When kept cool and too moisturized, the flower is affected by gray rot

The weevil gnaws leaves, causing damage to the plant

When infested by aphids, the leaves curl and become deformed.

Features of cultivation

• The plant likes to be in rooms with good lighting. You may need illumination with a special spectrum lamp.
• Room temperature from 15 to 25 degrees. Air humidity is up to 70%; you can install a humidifier next to the pot.
• Watering is not abundant, usually the flower clearly warns that it is time to water it, the leaves begin to wither.
• It is necessary to fertilize frequently, since watering washes out nutrients, and abundant flowering depletes the soil.

When properly grown streptocarpus at home, the flower will decorate your interior and delight the eye for almost a whole year.

Reviews from flower growers

I only recently, this summer, started growing streptocarpus. I bought leaves and now little babies are growing out of them. I bought some plants as small children. Some stand and bloom on the loggia - they like the cool. Some are under the lamps on the window (the window is also always open to the loggia .The main thing is not to overwater, otherwise they are very unpretentious! If they grow to flowering, they bloom constantly.
Deer https://forum.bestflowers.ru/t/streptokarpus-uxod-v-domashnix-uslovijax.109530/

Streps are beautiful, I fell in love with them at first sight, but when it came to the reproduction of existing children, I had to suffer.
But this probably makes me love them even more now)) For me it was problematic. In general, there are 3 options: propagation by seeds, dividing the bush and growing children from leaves. Nat31 https://irecommend.ru/content/zagadochnyi-tsvetok-streptokarpus-ukhod-i-razmnozhenie-strepsov-mnogo-mnogo-foto-moikh-lyubi

So I wouldn’t say that their flower is problem-free.
He is more demanding than many others. Well, watering is not difficult, it’s better to dry it out a little between waterings. Categorically does not like water getting on the leaves. Loves humid air, but, again, not too much. I'm not very painless with transplants. Transplanted plants take a long time to recover and get sick. Almost always, regardless of whether I divided the bush or replanted it entirely. Here you need to feel them. None of my other pets had such problems with transplantation (oh, no, there is also a silver peperomia, which is also very sensitive to transplantation - but with the rest everything is always ok) But even on a north window you can achieve flowering, and then it turns out so cheerful clearing: Natlli https://wap.romasha.forum24.ru/?1–18–0-00000011–000–0-0–1274589440

I grew my own streps from seeds.
(NK it seems, if necessary, I’ll look more precisely later). They germinate well and fairly quickly, but the seedlings are very small and weak and grow slowly. They categorically refuse to live without a greenhouse. They were finally removed from the greenhouse only 6–8 months after sowing. Picking noticeably accelerates the growth of young plants. They bloomed for me about a year and a half to two years after sowing. I also propagated them using cuttings using an “unconventional” method - I simply left them in a damp, hermetically sealed bag. Natali https://homeflowers.ru/yabbse/index.php?showtopic=3173

Video: charming varieties of streptocarpus

Modern streptocarpus hybrids are real works of art. The color range of the new varieties is impressive: purple, snow-white, pink, dark blue, lilac, lavender and almost black flowers, decorated with streaks, dots, streaks and a mesh of veins. This plant will certainly decorate any home.

• Author: Olga Isakina
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I am interested in many things. Handicrafts, gardening, floriculture and cooking are just a few of my hobbies. I am constantly discovering something new and learning something interesting. I am ready to share all my knowledge with my readers. Rate this article:

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