Streptocarpus are a gesneriad that forms a loose rossette with large showy flowers They are a relative of African violets. The leaves looks similar to crinkled loose leaf lettuce. The flower are long tubes in a wide range of colors including red, pink, white, purple, burgandy, lavender and a few multicolored. The throat of the flower often have yellow with stripes or spots. Streptocarpus have fibrous roots. The original species are native to Africa.

There are a number of growers that specialize in gesneriads and/or Streptocarpus. A search on Ebay will result in many plants or leaves for sale. Search for Streptocarpus plants or leaves

Watering. Strepts like to dry out between watering. It is a catch-22. They need to dry out but if they are too dry the leaves brown and die back at the tips. If it looks bad the tips cut be cut off to improve the appearence of the plant.

Soil. I have water-wicked these plants. The recipe for the mix is found in another of my guides. You need small container so the plants drys out at least a couple of times a month.

Humidity. Strepts like humidity. 50% is ideal too much and you risk powdery mildew. If it is too dry they have brown tips. They can be trimmed but it is easier to avoid the problem.

Fertilizer. They should receive regular light feeding instead of heavy doses which may burn the roots. A balanced fertilizer will work. If you are trying to promote flower the middle number should higher. Jack's Classic African Violet Special 12-36-14 works great. If you have a primary violet collection it is easier to use the same thing for all your plants.

Temperature. Streptocarpus like to be on the cool side temperature wise. The mid seventies is perfect. They suffer in high temperatures. If you are living in the deep south in the summer you need air conditioning.

Light. They are very similar to African violets bright indirect light. I was able to get this plant to flower in the college dorm room on the book shelves a couple of feet from a south window. They do well in the light stand next to the african. The bottom shelves is slight better because of the cooler temperatures. The duration of the light is 10-14 hours. You can tell if the plant is not getting enough when the leaves are reaches for the slight. The leaves should droop slightly as this is the natural habits.

Propagation. There are three ways. First to carefully divide a large plant. A full pot can be cut in half or quarters depending on the number of growing points. Second is leaf cuttings. You root a leaf the same was as a violet. Put the tip in the soil. It will root and form plantlets a the base. You can cut the main vein out of the center of the leave. You place the leaves halves of the leave cut end down into the soil. They will root and produce plantlets in places where the larger vein root into the soil. They produces more plants. If the leave are too large they can be cut into sections. If there are several pieces one of them is more likely to survive to product plants. This the method to use to get the largest number of baby plants. You use leaves to reproduce named varieties. The third method is seeds. Species can be grown from seed. Hybridizers cross varieties or species to make new plants. You just sprinkle them on the top of the soil. The seed pods are long narrow pods pop open and twist open as they dry.

Pests and diseases. The best practice is to isolate new plant to prevent introducing new friend to your plant collection.

Mealy bugs are a common foe. They can be killed with rubbing alcohol. You need to treat several times to kill the babies as they hatch from the eggs. You can remove the eggs which are located in the cottony masses.

Red Spider mites. You will notice them first with tiny webs covering the plants. They can be killed with safer soap or a miticide.

Powdery Mildew can occur when the hunidity is too high and they is not enough air circulation. A small fan in the plant room will here. Sulphur power applied directly to the mildew will kill it.

Thrips eat pollen on the flowers. Removed all open flower and spray with an insecticide. Thrips are the things moving in the pollen of your flowers. They normally do not damage the plant but are a eye sore. They easily spread to other plants in your collection. They are worst on plants that flowers which remain open for several days.

Common Varieties or species

Dibley's series are a group of plants hybridized by a nursey in United Kingdom. They have a reputable for durable plants with high flower counts. They are all suppose to be great plants. There are dozens of plants with this name and more being released every year.

'Constant Nymph' was the first common hybrid available that flowered well in the home. They used mild radiation to mutate 'Costant Nymph'  in many colors. These were produce back in the 60's.

Streptocarpus unifolia group as the name implies. It is only one leaf and is usually an annual plants. Don't think that it does many flowers. I have seen pictures of  plants with over one hundred open flowers are once.