How do I care for my Gloxinia?

Gloxinia aka Sinningia Sonata is our Luxury Indoor plant for September 2019. Here are some tips for how to best care for this blooming beauty.

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Native habitat
Native to Central and South America.

Light and position in the home
Your Gloxinia fares best in bright, indirect light.

Flowers and foliage
The large, ruffled, velvety blooms of this plant are what makes it a fantastic addition to your collection. Remove any spent blooms and make sure none are left to rot on the plant.

Temperature & Humidity
The Sinningia will be more than happy with average room temperatures, however, it does prefer a relatively humid environment. Sitting the plant on a tray of wet pebbles is useful for increasing humidity, but avoid misting, as this can encourage fungal attacks.

Watering
When in bloom, keep the soil moist, but take care not to overwater. Sinningias are slightly drought tolerant. Always use tepid, rather than very cold water, and either water the plant from the bottom or onto the soil. Avoid watering the plant itself as water can permanently stain the leaves and lead to rot.

Did you know?
Your Gloxinia grows from tuberous roots (much like potatoes!) and will enter a period of dormancy every winter. When your plant starts to lose its foliage towards the end of the year, this is because it is going into its dormant state. Reduce watering until all leaves have dropped, then store your pot in a cool, dark place until spring when you can start checking for new growth!

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If reading all this has made you greedy for a Gloxinia, check out our amazing Indoor plant subscriptions here. And for added incentive, we're donating £1 from every new subscription sold in September 2019 to the WWF's The Amazon is Burning! emergency appeal.