The bounciest happiest easiest basket to ever come
dancing your way
Streptocarpella aka "Dancing Flowers", "Dancing Ladies", or plain old "Streps." How could such a pretty plant have a name that sounds like a bad sore throat. Streptocarpella, often shortened to Streps, sure sounds like a bad sore throat but you couldn't be more mistaken. This flower is a joy to grow and one of the easiest too.
Long airy stems support clusters of brilliant tiny blue flowers. Closely related to the African Violet, your Dancing Flowers enjoy a bright filtered shade area in your patio or swinging from the branches of a tree.
Flowering: Ever blooming in mild climates, in hot interior climates they may go out of bloom in the summer and could freeze in the winter. If you put your basket where it is a bit too dark the blooms will disappear. Put her back in brighter light and the blooms will come back like magic.
Indoor and Outdoors: In winter and hot summer grow indoors in a sunny window where the sunlight will actually shine on the foliage. Under a skylight works too. Put your basket outdoors in spring and fall. The best of both worlds.
Size: Would you like a big luscious basket in a hurry? Take several 6’ Dancing Flowers and combine with easy impatiens. Add a bit of Lysicmachia Goldilocks to spill over the sides and you can have a prize winning 16 to 20 inch basket ready in less than a month. There is no limit to how big and beautiful you can make your Streptocarpella.
Combinations: Are you creating your own mixed basket or potted combination? Most of our Dancing Flowers have two to three plants in each pot and they are so easy to divide, you can add a few touches of Dancing Flowers to your combination by buying just one Dancing Flowers. They go great with begonias, fuchsias or impatiens.
Repotting and propagating: When your Strep has filled the pot and the leaves are touching the bottom of your container, transplant it into a larger size basket or pot and she’ll smile and say ”No Problem. I'll grow bigger and more beautiful.
Want it bigger still? Transplant it again and off she goes.
Easy to root too. Break off a branch or two and place in a glass of water by your bright window and soon roots will appear.
Seed pods: Strepto-carpella, the name means twisted seed pod. When your flowers go to seed they form a long twisted seed pod. You want to take these off. This is Evelyn’s painless way to do this. Choose a table where you can see the TV, cover with some newspaper and set you plant there. Turn on your favorite program and pour your favorite drink. Snip off the seed with a small clipper of any pair of scissors. Snip and sip while the TV entertains. It’s almost automatic it’s so easy. In no time at all your plant is looking like new.
Cutting it back: If your plant needs a little haircut choose a warm spring or summer month to do that.
What's bugging it? Sometimes aphids attack, spray them off with a good spray of water, Sometimes little caterpillars attack. Any of the non-poisonous sprays with Bt (bacillus thurengensis) in them will safely kill your caterpillars. Sprays like Captain Jack's Spinosad spray will also do the trick and are non-toxic. Once in a blue moon you might get those white furry mealybugs. Throw the whole plant away, scrub your pot out and start over again. That is one battle that isn't’ worth fighting. You gotta know when to hold and you gotta know when to fold and that song applies to some pesky garden insects too. Know your insects and pick your battles. There are the ones you can win and there are the ones you are better off folding on.
Dancing flowers is a happy winner. Every garden should have a few.