The Fascinating World of Kohlerias

These delightful, fuzzy plants are like the quirky cousins of African violets, sporting tubular flowers that look like they’ve been dipped in alien pixie dust. They belong to the Gesneriaceae family, sharing lineage with gesneriads such as gloxinias, streptocarpus, and yes, African violets.

One of the things that drew my interest with these plants is that they were said to be lower maintenance and nearly impossible to kill. Who doesn't love a flowering houseplant that is foolproof? After having several of these plants for a few months, I've had no problems with them at all. My main concern at this point is that I'll have to add new shelves because they are growing like weeds and getting bigger by the day. They do tend to drink a lot of water as compared to some of my other plants like African violets. If you're wick watering them, you may need to refill the reservoir more regularly than expected. I haven't see any issues with pests or fungus. So they seem to be pretty durable. If you look closely at the flowers, they have a layer of droplets on the petals. This might be some kind of nectar to entice insects into the bloom for pollination.

The main appeal besides their hardiness is the intense coloration and patterns with the flowers. The flowers can tend to point downwards, which is my only complaint. But with a lot of them per plant, it's not too much of an issue because of the abundance of blooms.

I had never heard of them until I asked ChatGPT to give me a list of indoor houseplants that bloomed similar to African violets, and these were on the list. So I ordered a couple plants from Violet Barn. They were slow growers out of the gate, but I suspect this is likely because they go dormant or at least, grow less over the winter months. They picked up growing speed a few months after I had them as we neared the Spring.

My plan is to cross between the different colors I have to see what new colors and patterns I get. There isn't much variation from one plant to the next in terms of the leaves. It does seem like there are only a few limited varieties or color combinations that are commercially sold. If you want to buy kohlerias, you might have to resort at times to sourcing them from random gardeners who grow a certain variety. Or sell the rhizomes on places like eBay or Etsy. I don't recommend buying the seeds from anyone except a reputable, confirmed grower. Because they are hard to find, you can be duped into buying something that isn't a kohleria.

A Splash of History

Kohlerias originate from the tropical regions of Central and South America, where they thrive in the understory of rainforests. Their genus name honors Michael Kohler, an obscure 19th-century botanist who probably had no idea his legacy would live on through a plant.

A kohleria rhizhome before I covered it with soil. A few weeks later, a plantlet emerged.

Propagation: Growing Your Kohleria Family

1. Rhizomes:

Kohlerias grow from scaly, finger-like rhizomes that look a bit like furless caterpillers. Simply snip off a rhizome, bury it in a well-draining soil mix, and keep it lightly moist. In a few weeks, you’ll see little green leaves emerging.

2. Leaf Cuttings:

Like their African violet cousins, kohlerias can sprout from leaf cuttings. Snip a healthy leaf with a bit of stem attached, plant it in moist soil.

3. Seeds:

Growing kohlerias from seed offers a chance to dabble in hybridization. Seeds are incredibly tiny—so sow them on the surface of your growing medium without covering them. Keep the humidity high and light bright but indirect, and watch as the tiniest green specks transform into full-fledged plants.

Hybridization

Choose two kohlerias with traits you’d like to combine (say, the vibrant red of one and the speckled throat of another).
Using a small paintbrush, collect pollen from the anthers of one flower and transfer it to the stigma of another. I find sweeping the inside of the bloom, in particular the bottom, will pick up pollen on your brush.
If successful, the flower will wither, and a seed pod will form. Let it ripen, then harvest the seeds for planting.

The results? Hopefully a one-of-a-kind kohleria that’s uniquely yours.

Care Tips: Keeping Your Kohlerias Happy and Healthy

Caring for kohlerias is relatively simple and they can be forgiving.

Light: Bright, indirect light is ideal. Too much sun can scorch the leaves, while too little will hinder blooming.
Watering: Allow the soil to dry slightly between waterings. Overwatering can lead to rhizome rot. Even better, wick watering allows them to take up as much water as they need.
Humidity: These tropical beauties love humidity. A pebble tray or occasional misting can help mimic their rainforest roots.
Dormancy: Many kohlerias go dormant in winter. Don’t panic if the leaves die back or become slow growing; just reduce watering and let the rhizomes rest until spring.

As members of the Gesneriaceae family, kohlerias have a lot in common with their relatives Streptocarpus, gloxinias and African violets. They have about the same requirements for light and fertilizer, so you won't need to make any changes in terms of care and maintenance in order to add them to your plant collection. But they can get rather large compared to plants like African violets. Though larger streptocarpus plants can take up just as much room.

Kohlerias are proof that plants don’t have to be high-maintenance to be extraordinary. With their colorful blooms, easy propagation, and ease of care, they’re a great blend of beauty and fun.

The Aley Acres seed shop on Etsy.

Dahlias, Notes from a Gardener book on Amazon.

Floral Art and Landscape Painting Etsy shop.

TikTok, some gardening posts.