Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

Chirita a Houseplant with a Future

Chirita a Houseplant with a Future

Was I too early in recommending Chirita plants of the future a couple of years ago?

Primulina tamiana

If you have tried Cape Primroses, also called Streptocarpus, then you may also want to try the cousin Chirita. They have hairy leaves similar to African violets and flowers that are similar Streptocarpus.

Gesneriaceae species include: Cyrtandra, Didymocarpus, Streptocarpus, Alloplectus, Achimenes, Chirita, Henckelia, Gasteranthus, Sinningia, Kohleria. There is still no definitive text in English.

What is a Chirita

  • Chirita belong to the little know Gesneriad family but contains 150 Chirita species. Some are now being classified as Primulina tamiana
  • Chiritas can be acquired from the specialist www.dibleys.com They also produce an excellent compact A5 plant catalogue
  • Propagation is easy from leaf cuttings in an equal mixture of compost and vermiculite, pearlite or sharp sand.
  • Keep plants out of direct sunlight, a north facing windowsill or porch is ideal
  • Plants can stay in the same pot for several years if they are give a regular week feed.
  • Keep plants a bit on the dry side and treat like African violets
  • Chirita Akiro like several varieties has interesting leaves
  • For small neat pure white Chirita taminiana is well recommended
  • For larger flowers try C. Keiko shown below with up to 25 two inch flowers from

2012_90 Chirita sp.

Chirita Growing Tips

  • Plant in compost that is airy adding perlite if it tends to compact then leave undisturbed for a couple of seasons.
  • Be careful not to over-water letting compost virtually dry our between watering.
  • Good drainage is a necessity. Place hortag or gravel in the dish to hold water and increase the humidity. Make sure the pot is sitting on the gravel and not in the water.

Chirita sp.

Chirita are Houseplants with a future as long as the name changers do not get too involved. Most of the species have been discovered recently and in the future cross breeding is likely to produce new varieties.

Credits
Primulina tamiana by nipplerings72 CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 previously called Chirita tamiana
2012_90 Chirita sp. by Plant Hunter Subedi CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Chirita sp. by Nick Turland CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Read Growing Chirita Houseplants

One thought on “Chirita a Houseplant with a Future

Comments are closed.

Comments are closed.