Scientific Name
Other Names
Life Form
Family
Ornamental - Primarily a beautiful ornamental plant for gardens and greenhouses.
Kenya to Southern Africa
Thrives in coastal forest areas, riverine thickets, river margins, shaded places, and humid places in eastern Africa. Now widely cultivated in gardens and greenhouses around the world, and can be found in these cultivated settings at elevations up to 1800 m.
It is a herbaceous perennial growing to 15-60 cm tall.
Stem is simple or branched, glabrous or rarely slightly pubescent at shoot apices.
Leaves are broad lanceolate, 3-12 cm long and 2-5 cm broad, with toothed margins and a long stalk bearing stalked glands.
Flowers are profusely borne, 2-5 cm diameter, with five petals. Variable in size and color, including red, crimson-red, pink, purple-red, purplish violet, or white.
Fruit is fusiform (spindle-shaped) capsule, 1.5-2 cm long and smooth.
Flowering: June-October.