Description:

An outdoor plant in only warm, humid climates; does not tolerate chilly nights; an interesting and exotic container plant producing stunning red trumpets with white throats and spots; enjoy as a houseplant in colder climates

Ornamental Features

Longwood Kohleria has nodding red trumpet-shaped flowers with white throats and white spots at the ends of the stems from late winter to early spring. Its tomentose pointy leaves remain green in color throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Longwood Kohleria is an herbaceous annual with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Longwood Kohleria is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Longwood Kohleria will grow to be about 16 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 12 inches. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. Although it's not a true annual, this plant can be expected to behave as an annual in our climate if left outdoors over the winter, usually needing replacement the following year. As such, gardeners should take into consideration that it will perform differently than it would in its native habitat.

This plant should be grown in a location with partial shade or which is shaded from the hot afternoon sun. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.

Longwood Kohleria is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers against which the larger thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.