Kohleria

Kohlerias are easy to grow and most cultivars are very floriferous. The genus Kohleria compromises 21 species from South and Central America. Most of which forms scaly rhizomes. These rhizomes are a method for the plant to manage drought in it’s natural habitat. The rhizomes are like small batteries which store water and nutrients in the soil even if the over ground part of the plant would wilt. If you’re like me and grow houseplants in a temperate region, this survival strategy in the plant can be utilized. Here in Sweden the winters are long and dark and it’s hard to grow plants in the low amount of natural light we get. I let many of my kohlerias have their dormancy during the darkest months and I only grow some under artificial light during the winter.

I love the diversity of different Kohleria cultivars being hybridized around the world. I haven’t found any collected list over the Kohleria cultivars grown around the world, so I have initiated my own list here: List of Kohleria cultivars