Ever since I was a young botanist I have always been attracted to the genus Streptocarpus. I first encountered it in the mist belt forests of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa in the 1970s. My first sight of them was magical. The hanging leaves festooned shaded boulders under the forest canopy and they were scattered among the delicate pink-flowered orchid Stenocarpus fimbriata, their blue and white flowers sparkling against the pink orchid trusses. Recently I renewed my horticultural interest in them and this year I grew a range of cultivars that all bloomed to perfection. A few of them are shown below.
Streptocarpus sp. (wild species unidentified)
Streptocarpus cv. Blue Frills
Streptocarpus cv. Kim
Many species have these fleshy strap-like leaves that are easy to strike from cuttings
