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Gesneriaceae
Cape Primrose
Streptocarpus rexii
Quiet companionship, modest beauty, indoor charm.
- Family
- Gesneriaceae
- Genus
- Streptocarpus
- Native to
- South Africa
- Bloom season
- Year-Round
- Type
- Tender perennial
- Height
- 15–30 cm (6–12 in)
- Sunlight
- Bright indirect light
- Soil
- Loose, peat-based
- Water
- Moderate
- Hardiness
- 10–11
- Lifespan
- Long-lived perennial
Did you know
- Cape primroses are close cousins of African violets—both belong to the Gesneriaceae family and originated in African forests, but the streptocarpus has trumpet-shaped rather than five-petaled flowers.
- A single cape primrose plant can bloom continuously for 6 months or more indoors—it's one of the most floriferous houseplants in existence.
- The botanical name 'Streptocarpus' means 'twisted fruit' in Greek—the seedpods spiral like corkscrews as they ripen and dry, eventually flinging their seeds outward.
- Some cape primroses don't grow normal stems at all—instead, a single huge leaf produces flowers directly from its base, a botanical oddity unique to the genus.
- Hybridizers in the UK and US have bred over 1,000 named varieties—the Dibley Nursery in Wales has been Britain's leading streptocarpus breeder for over 40 years.
Color meanings
0
quiet companionship
1
modest beauty
2
constant joy