Streptocarpus 'Harlequin Blue'PBR
Cape primrose 'Harlequin Blue'
'Harlequin Blue' is a compact cultivar with short flower stems to 4.4cm and neat leaves. Flowers are distinctive with yellow lower lobes, which hold their colour well, soft blue upper lobes and very dark purple lines in the throat defining the extent of the two colours. Winner of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show Plant of the Year in 2010. Shortlisted for Chelsea Plant of the Centenary in 2013 for the decade 2003-2012
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Size
Ultimate height
0.1–0.5 metresTime to ultimate height
2–5 yearsUltimate spread
0.1–0.5 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Blue Yellow | Green | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Blue Yellow | Green | ||
| Autumn | Blue Yellow | Green | ||
| Winter | Green |
Position
- Partial shade
Aspect
South–facing or East–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H1CBotanical details
- Family
- Gesneriaceae
- Native to the UK
- No
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Habit
- Clump forming
- Genus
Streptocarpus can be annuals, perennials or subshrubs, with usually wrinkled, lance-shaped to rounded leaves and clusters of tubular to trumpet-shaped flowers with 5 spreading lobes, often borne throughout the year
- Name status
Accepted
How to grow
Cultivation
Grow as a houseplant in free-draining compost on an east or west-facing windowsill, or grow in a temperate or warm greenhouse in bright filtered light with shade from hot sun. Water sparingly as compost dries in winter and in the growing season water freely allowing compost to dry out between waterings; feed fortnightly with a high-potassium fertiliser. See Streptocarpus cultivation
Propagation
Propagate by seed or leaf cuttings
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- Patio and container plants
Pruning
No pruning required
Pests
May be susceptible to glasshouse leafhoppers, mealybugs, thrips, vine weevil and tarsonemid mite
Diseases
May be susceptible to grey moulds (botrytis) or powdery mildews
Get involved
The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.