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Calceolaria crenatiflora
Pocketbook Plant, Calceolaria herbeohybrida
| Stroll into any florist shop and you are likely to see pots of cheerful, polka-dotted, yellow and red pocketbook flowers. They are the best-known members of a huge group that ranges from dainty 8-inch miniatures to 6-foot shrubs. Tropical natives, most will not tolerate either frost, strong sun, or dry heat. To bloom well, they need fairly cool summers with good rainfall or attentive watering. During winter, bring them indoors, or in frost-free winters, shelter outdoors against a south-southwest-facing wall. Excellent as creeping ground covers for frost-free rock gardens. Needs moisture-retentive, well-drained, acid soil. Grow annuals and biennials from seed in spring, perennial herbs and shrubs from seed, by division, or from cuttings of new shoots in late summer and early autumn. Give seedlings and young plants good ventilation and extra protection from hot sun. In hot dry climates, sow seeds in late summer to ensure blooming before next summer's heat. Taller plants may need support. Avoid root rot and mildew by using sterilized seed and potting mix and by watering carefully at the plant's base. Water splashed on the blossoms can also cause permanent, unsightly spotting. Watch for aphids and whitefly. |
Brighten a shady spot with yellow, orange, or red masses of blossoms. There are many available strains, from low-growing varieties, 9 to 12 inches tall, to large 2-foot-tall plants.
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Attributes - Calceolaria crenatiflora
Plant Type: Annual
Bloom Season: Mid Spring through Mid Summer
Flower Color: Orange, Red, Yellow
Height: 1 ft. to 2 ft. 6 in.
Width: 1 ft. 6 in.
Sunlight: Partial Sun, Shade
Notes: Container Plants, Showy Flowers. Susceptible to Aphids, Black Spot, Damping-off, Powdery Mildew, Root Rot.
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Related Plants
Calceolaria crenatiflora 'King Mix'
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