Common name: Columnea, Goldfish Plant
Family: Gesneriaceae, Gesneriad
Height x width: trails or hangs 24-48"
Growth rate: moderate
Foliage: opposite ovate to elliptic, usually dark green, occasionally hairy, generally 2-3" long
Flowers: tubular, single or in small clusters, in leaf axils; 5 lobed, 2 upper petals joined to form a hood, stamens and style sometimes exserted (extend beyond the hood); colorful reds, oranges, yellows
Light: bright to moderate
Temperature: average to warm
Watering: moderate
Fertility: moderate
Humidity: humid
Soil: well-drained to epiphytic
Pests and Problems: botrytis mold, fungal leaf spots, mosaic virus, aphids, spider mites, whiteflies; leaves drop from drafts and too dry air, leaves brown from calcium excess from fertilizer, soil or water
Growth habit, uses: hanging, trailing, groundcover
Other interest:native to the moist rain and cloud forests of the American tropics; named after 16th century Fabio Colonna, author of the first botanical book with copper plate illustrations; unbranched indoors but often branched in native habitats, rooting at nodes on soil surface; many are vines (lianes) or epiphytes in native habitats; not to be confused with another "Goldfish Plant" (Nematanthus), another gesneriad with flowers actually resembling goldfish
Other culture: avoid wetting foliage when not in active growth, less watering for 6-8 weeks often stimulates best flowering
Propagation: stem or tip cuttings
Species:
• crassifolia (cras' si-fol-ee-ah)--elliptic, shiny leaves; bright scarlet, solitary, hairy flower to 4"
• erythrophaea (ee-rith' row-faa' ee-ah)--elliptic glossy leaves; 3 or more yellow to orange 2" flowers in clusters
• gloriosa (glo-ree-o' sah)--ovate leaves densely purple hairy, margins reflexed (turned under); bright red with yellow throats, hairy, solitary flowers 3" long
• hirta (hir' tah)--oblong hairy leaves; orange red 2" flowers, hairy; var. pilosissima with colorless hairs on stems
• linearis (lin-ee-air' iss)--narrow lanceolate 3" leaves, shiny, thick; bright cherry-red 2-3" flowers
• microphylla (mii-crow-fill' ah)--ovate leaves with reddish hairs; scarlet 2-3" hairy solitary flowers with yellow throats
• pilosissima:hirta var.pilosissima
• sanguinolenta:Trichantha sanguinolenta
• scandens (scan' dens)--oblong leaves with red marginal hairs; red or yellow flowers, few hairs, solitary or paired. 2-3" long
• schiedeana (she-dee-a' nah)--lanceolate 5" long leaves red-veined;
red-tinged yellow flowers with maroon spots and lines, 2-3" long, solitary
or paired, red hairy flower stalks
The following are some of the most commonly seen cultivars.
| Cultivar | species | flowers | foliage |
| 'Bon Fire' | hybrid | orange/yellow, solitary, 2-3" | shiny, thin, pointed |
| 'Camp Fire' | hybrid | red, solitary, 2-3" | dark maroon |
| 'Cayugan' | hybrid | orange-red, 2-3" | linear 2-3", hairy |
| 'Chanticleer' | hybrid | yellow tube, red tips, 3" | ovate, hairy |
| 'Cherokee' | hybrid | yellow tube, red tips, 2" | shiny, elliptic |
| 'Early Bird' | hybrid | yellow base, red, 2-3" | ovate, shiny |
| 'Gold Spice' | hybrid | yellow-orange, 2-3" | dark purple |
| 'Great Horned' | hybrid | yellow, 2-3" | dark purple |
| 'Julia' | hybrid | orange-red, solitary, 1" | hairy, red margins |
| 'Mirage' | hybrid | bright orange, soliary, 2" | variegated |
| 'Robin' | hybrid | bright red, solitary, 2-3" | hairy |
| 'Stavenger' | hybrid | bright red, solitary, 3-4" | shiny, tiny, old and popular |
| 'Superba' | gloriosa | orange-red, solitary, 2-3" | maroon, hairy |
| 'Variegata' | microphylla | scarlet, solitary, 2-3", hairy | grayish, cream margins |
| 'Yellow Dragon' | hybrid | yellow, solitary, 4" | velvety hairy, thin |
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