A few years ago, a gloxinia-flowering houseplant (Sinningia speciosa) was considered a perennial; The plants would flower and then die back. After a period of dormancy, the plant grew again, delighting its owner with a fresh batch of large, velvety buds. Today’s gloxinias are hybrids bred to bloom quickly. These gloxinias display superb splendor for about two months, but once the flowers have faded the plant rarely returns as it puts all its energy into flowers rather than strong roots. As such, these plants are best grown as annuals, and since they are discarded after the flowering cycle, gloxinia flower care focuses on keeping the plant looking fresh during flowering.

Caring for the Gloxinia Plant Caring for gloxinia flowers is not too difficult. Place gloxinias in a bright spot out of direct sunlight. A location near a sunny window, out of reach of the sun’s rays, is ideal.

Growing gloxinia houseplants thrive at average room temperatures between 60 and 75 degrees F. (16-24 C). Water gloxinias often enough to keep the soil moist. The leaves will stain brown when they get wet, so apply the water directly to the soil under the leaves. If allowed to dry out, gloxinias will go dormant. Use a liquid plant fertilizer high in phosphorus every two weeks for your flowering gloxinia houseplant.

If gloxinia houseplants are grown as annuals, they do not need to be repotted. If you need to repot the plant into a decorative container or replace part of the soil because it accidentally spilled, use an African Violet potting soil. How to Grow Gloxinia from Seed Gloxinias on display at the garden center are pretty and well priced, but frugal growers may want to try growing them from seed. The roots are tender and the plant is not easy to transplant into a larger container when young, so start the seeds in a 4 to 6 inch (10-15 cm) pot where they can grow to full size. Fill the pot with African Violet potting soil to about 1 1/2 inches (4 cm) from the top. Sift an additional 1cm of soil through a sieve into the top of the pot so the tender roots have no trouble pushing through the soil when the seeds germinate.