Perennial Gloxinia

Family Gesneriaceae. Grows in forests from Colombia to Brazil and Peru.

Perennial herbaceous plants 50–70 cm tall, with fleshy shoots, growing in patches. Leaves ovate, 10 cm long and 7 cm wide, pointed, glossy, green above, with sparse bristles, reddish beneath. Flowers axillary, grouped in small clusters; the corolla bell-shaped, up to 3 cm in diameter, purplish-blue in the upper part, with a minty fragrance. Blooms in September–November. A highly ornamental plant, cultivated mainly in botanical gardens. Can be grown in warm indoor conditions.