Streptocarpus 'Blue Frills'
Cape primrose 'Blue Frills'
An evergreen perennial cultivar with strappy leaves that are softly hairy and wrinkled. Flowers are double with ruffled blue central petals. Upper lobes are blue, lower ones white with purple and violet-blue blotches and veining
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Size
Ultimate height
0.1–0.5 metresTime to ultimate height
2–5 yearsUltimate spread
0.1–0.5 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
Spring | Blue Purple White | Green | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Summer | Blue Purple White | Green | ||
Autumn | Blue Purple White | Green | ||
Winter | Green |
Position
- Partial shade
Aspect
West–facing or East–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H1CBotanical details
- Family
- Gesneriaceae
- Native to GB / Ireland
- No
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Habit
- Bushy
- Genus
Streptocarpus can be annuals, perennials or subshrubs, with usually wrinkled, lance-shaped to rounded leaves and clusters of tubular to trumpet-shaped flowers with 5 spreading lobes, often borne throughout the year
- Name status
Accepted
How to grow
Cultivation
Grow as a houseplant in free-draining compost on an east or west-facing windowsill, or grow in a temperate or warm greenhouse in bright filtered light with shade from hot sun. Water sparingly as compost dries in winter and in the growing season water freely allowing compost to dry out between waterings; feed fortnightly with a high-potassium fertiliser. See Streptocarpus cultivation
Propagation
Propagate by division of clumps or by leaf cuttings in spring or summer
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- Patio and container plants
Pruning
Deadhead regularly and remove damaged leaves
Pests
May be susceptible to glasshouse leafhoppers, mealybugs, thrips, vine weevil and tarsonemid mite
Diseases
May be susceptible to grey moulds (botrytis) or powdery mildews
Get involved
The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.