These are common over here but are grown exclusively as houseplants afaik. I imagine some people might try them as summer bedding but I've not seen it.

They do not do well in bright sun, so a shaded location would suit, but I think the flowers and leaves would not do well in heavy rain. I have a hunch that slugs and snails would be an issue outside. They are fairly easy to propagate from leaf cuttings. The biggest grower here is Dibleys Nursery, who hold the UK National Collection of Streptocarpus, and even they refer to it only as a houseplant. There is a huge amount of information at this link: About Streptocarpus Plants – Dibleys (dibleys-shop.com)

Thanks 'floral' for the detailed post (that link really does have a ton of good information.) I had read that it is often found inside as a houseplant but I do know that it is also planted outside, often in a container.

Maybe grow them in a pot within the container so they'll be easy to bring inside for winter.

I love streptocarpus in planters and wish the plants were easier to find where I live.

I’ve had them in hanging baskets and containers in full shade as well as in large pots in full sun (on a dock). I’ve never had a problem with them outside and they bloomed their heads off as long as I kept them deadheaded (Ontario - zone 5a).

I wonder why I never see them outdoors here? Maybe they get spoiled in wet and windy weather which we often get in summer. And, while easy to obtain, they'd be much more expensive than the usual bedding plants.

I should add that the ones I bought were not Proven Winners. I bought them at a garden centre in 4” pots, which were displayed in the ”annual” section

Good to hear @gargamel. I am definitely going to keep my eyes open next season for these plants. I dont know where in Ontario you are but I would be curious as to which garden centre you were able to snag them.

rouge - I’m in Muskoka. I haven’t found any for the past 4-5 years. At one point though the Canadian Tire had them..I didn’t check this year

I've grown them outdoors in pots as an annual during the summer season. They're okay -- nothing to jump up and down about but the color is nice and the flowers are different. They're kinda small, so not really all that much of an impact. Mine were not a P.W. variety, though.

Some of the Streptocarpus have quite large flowers, ca. 3-4 inches. They can be very floriferous on plants a foot to 18 inches across and make a big impact.

nothing to jump up and down about but the color is nice and the flowers are different

Just having another option of a flowering 'annual' that can produce in shadier conditions is a bonus.

"Some of the Streptocarpus have quite large flowers, ca. 3-4 inches. They can be very floriferous on plants a foot to 18 inches across and make a big impact."

That does not describe the ones I had.

I belong to a couple gesneriad groups at facebook, and I've only ever seen them grown as houseplants. These people are obsessed and experts. I think a few species can be grown outdoors in Florida.

I've grown them outdoors. They were in constant bloom. Had them in morning sun.

Streptocarpus can have quite large flowers. Streptocarpella are smaller.

I have had those outdoors, erasmus. I seem to remember they were called streptocarpus saxorum and were quite different to most of the usual streps. Mind, I also had one which grew just one enormous leaf. All mine came from the glasshouse at my college (from when we were practising leaf cuttings). The saxorum one did survive it's first (and only) winter but suspect too much rain would have done for it. Seem to vaguely recall mine came from Kenya? I was trying to do a Victorian conservatory theme, so had salpiglossis, coleus and spider plants along with a huge sparmannia. Pretty much one of my fleeting, one or 2 season fads.

All this was so long ago...back in the vague mists of time.

Superb picture @erasmus_gw...thank you. Very pretty plant (flowers and foliage).

All this was so long ago...back in the vague mists of time

And yet you called up many details from that time...impressive.

erasmus_gw: WOW! Now that's an impressive plant!

I see Streptocarpella offered in pots at nurseries, seemingly intended for outdoor growing. The large-flowered Streptocarpus doesn't like the summer heat we get in most of the interior United States, even when grown in shade. From Logees nursery: "Temperature requirements are varied, but generally growing Streps from 60˙F to the high 70's is hot enough. They will not tolerate high temperatures. This is one of the greatest challenges in their culture. The summer heat, in many areas of the country, distresses the plants and can sometimes cause their collapse. Any type of heat wave, even those that we get in Connecticut, can wreak havoc with Cape Primrose plants. When temperatures rise into the 90's, the plants will go into a wilt and the leaves get damaged or the plants collapse, as the transpiration of the leaves is far greater than what the root system can uptake."

Other gesneriads do well in the outdoor garden. There are a few well-known hardy sorts like Ramonda myconi. I've grown Sinningia tubiflora as a hardy perennial; it survives temps down to 0F or below. This summer I have several clumps of Achimenes growing in the perennial border. They're doing well but you have to make sure they have a constant supply of moisture or they start to wilt.

I know, Rouge. it puzzles me. I can barely remember what I had for dinner the day before yet I can recall all sorts of random s**t about plants from donkey's years ago. I think there is probably a syndrome or summat.

Erasmus - Beautiful!

Thanks, all. I don't know if you have the discount store, Roses. It's an old chain. We have one not far away and it used to offer these streptocarpellas cheap every year, and some cheap three packs of unusual perennials. I don't know where they got them. The streps were low maintenance here and held up well as far as I can remember. I'm in zone 7a, NC piedmont. I had them in a shallow wall planter on my front porch. Pretty sure that's one plant in the picture.

When I was in college in the 70's I was crazy about houseplants and grew some gloxinias from seed and also achimenes from the little tubers. Grew the achimines outside on my porch in MS.

There is a lady in the mountains , I think near Asheville, NC who breeds streptocarpus. I don't know if she grows all of them indoors. It is a good bit cooler in the mountains. There are some amazing individual blooms on those but I guess streptocarpella are the only ones I've grown. I like how the plant behaves though individual blooms may not be as spectacular.

I'm in zone 7a, NC piedmont. I had them in a shallow wall planter on my front porch

So this seems to indicate that the plant can be successful in higher temp and humidity conditions.