Kohleria

Kohleria Care

Kohleria

What is the plant

Kohleria is a New World genus of the flowering plant family Gesneriaceae. The plants are generally tropical herbs or subshrubs with velvety stems and foliage and brightly colored flowers with spots or markings in contrasting colors.

Kohleria plants are easy to grow and are prolific bloomers. They have an upright growth habit and can quickly grow tall. Tubular flowers are around 2-inches (5 cm) long, and grow in clusters of 3 or 4. You have several cultivars to choose from, in a range of colors: red, reddish-orange, pink and purple. Inside each flower are dots and dashes. All parts of Kohleria are fuzzy, covered with fine red hairs. You'll especially notice them around the scalloped leaf edges, creating a stunning contrast against the lush, velvety green foliage. Kohleria is in the Gesneriaceae family, along with African Violet, Gloxinia, Flame Violet and Lipstick Plant.

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Humidity

Normal

Lighting

Part Sun

Temperature

18°C - 18°C

Hardiness zone

min 10a

Difficulty

Medium

How to Care for the Plant

Water
Spring through fall, water thoroughly and allow the top 2 inches (5 cm) to dry out between waterings. In winter, water just enough to prevent leaves from wilting. Rhizomes store water so it's more tolerant of dry soil than wet. Fine hairs cover the soft leaves - and flowers, too - that can trap moisture and cause spots, so be careful not to splash water on them. The plant prefers relative humidity above 50%, but will tolerate lower levels. Use a cool-mist room humidifier or a humidity tray to maintain moist air. Don't mist this plant because the hairy leaves will trap moisture, which will cause spots and possibly botrytis.
Fertilizer
Feed every 2 weeks spring and summer with a high-phosphorus water-soluble fertilizer (such as 10-30-10) diluted by half.
Sunlight
Kohleria needs plenty of bright light to bloom. Keep out of direct sunlight. You can keep it flowering almost year-round with a grow light.

Disease diagnosis

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Soil
Peat moss-based potting mix with perlite added for good drainage. African violet potting mix is ideal.
Temperature
Average room temperatures 65-75°F/18-24°C year-round. Don't expose your plant to temps below 60°F/16°C.
Container
Choose a pot with enough drainage holes.