Scientific/Botanical Name:
Genus: Nematanthus
Specie: N. nervosus
Variety/Cultivar:
English Name:
Common Name:
goldfish plant
Botanical Family:
Name in Latin: Gesneriaceae
Name in English: African Violet Family
The Plant
Origin: Mexico, Brazil
Growth Habit: trailing, branching, and spreading habit; it is generally an epiphyte in nature and a hanging-basket plant in cultivation
Flower: Orange flowers are produced in most leaf axils. The flower has petals fused into a pouch-like shape, with a small opening
Blooming Period: spring summer
Leaf: leaves that are small, succulent, and hard-surfaced
Usage:
ornamental plant, hanging basket
Care and Handling
Soil: general purpose soil
Amount of water: Keep the soil evenly moist
Nutrition: Feed every two weeks with a water soluble fertilizer diluted by half until the bloom is finished, then rest for one month before resuming
Special handling: In general, from November through March it is best to stop fertilizing, keep temps on the cool side, and water just enough to keep the plant from wilting, allowing the soil to become quite dry
Special feature/remarks:
Does best in full sunlight coming from the South/East/West. Hummingbirds often will feed from the nectar-filled "goldfish" flowers.