1 named cultivar

‘Carangola’Florist's Gloxinia

perennial

Florist's Gloxinia

The Story

Plant Bio

Sinningia speciosa, florist's gloxinia, is a tuberous perennial from Brazil, six to twelve inches high and wide. Large scalloped velvety leaves form a low rosette, and enormous bell or trumpet flowers three to six inches across open above them in violet, red, pink or white, often with contrasting speckled throats.

After flowering it dies back completely and needs a genuine dormant rest — most plants are thrown away at that point in the belief they are dead. Store the tuber dry and cool for two or three months, then restart it and it flowers again. Water the compost rather than the crown: water sitting on those velvety leaves marks and rots them.

Uses & Benefits:

Enormous velvety bell flowers, often speckled inside, over a rosette of scalloped leaves.

The tuber can be rested and regrown for years rather than treated as a single-season gift plant.

Grown entirely indoors, so its value is as a houseplant rather than in the garden.

Essentials

At a Glance

Plant Type

Perennial

Height

12 inches

Width

9 inches

Light

Partial Sun, Shade

Zones

Water

Moderate

Humidity

High

Lifespan

Perennial

Native To

Brazil

Toxicity

Non-toxic

Planting

How to Grow

Give it bright indirect light, never direct sun.
Water the compost, not the crown or leaves.
Use tepid water; cold water marks the foliage.
Feed while in growth and flower.
Let it die back after flowering and store the tuber dry.
Restart the tuber after two or three months rest.

Pro Tip

It is not dead when it collapses after flowering — dry the tuber off, rest it for a couple of months, and it grows again.

Keep It Thriving

Care Guide

Do

Water the compost, not the leaves 💧
Use tepid water 🌡️
Rest the tuber dry after flowering 😴
Give it bright indirect light 🪟

Don't

Throw it away when it dies back ❌
Splash the velvety leaves ❌
Stand it in direct sun ❌

Seasonal Care Calendar

Task	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Feed
Rest

Watch Out For

Pests & Diseases

Common Pests

Common Diseases

In the Garden

Landscape Uses & Companions

Landscape Uses

Flowering houseplant for a bright roomSeasonal container display indoorsCollector's plant among other gesneriads

Companion Plants

African Violet Streptocarpus BegoniaPeperomia Maidenhair Fern

Multiply

Propagation Methods

Good to Know

Common Questions

Florist's Gloxinia questions

What zones can Florist's Gloxinia grow in?

Florist's Gloxinia is hardy in USDA Zone 10. Inside that range it survives winter in the ground; outside it, grow it as an annual or a container plant you protect.

Is Florist's Gloxinia deer resistant?

Not reliably. Deer may browse Florist's Gloxinia, especially tender spring growth — plan on repellents or fencing where pressure is high.

When does Florist's Gloxinia bloom?

Florist's Gloxinia typically blooms in summer through late summer. Exact timing shifts a week or two with your zone — Sow's bloom calendar maps it to your garden.

Does Florist's Gloxinia need full sun?

Florist's Gloxinia does best in part shade.