Regarding Nematanthus -

No clay pots, plastic is OK. You can grow them in hanging pots. The soil is basic AV mix - 1:1:1 peat-perlite-vermiculite, fertilizing - AV fertilizer half strength every watering - 1/4 teaspoon per gallon. I personally would keep them inside on a sunny window until the plants will be bigger. To make a bushy plant - I would make the cuttings out of the tips of the shoots and stick them back ino the same pot. The roots come from the nodes - so I will remove last pair of leaves and stick it so the node is in the soil.
With moist airy soil and enough light they will grow like weeds for you.

Good Luck

irina

Hi Coyle, I've been looking for goldfish plants for at least two years here locally...I've not been able to find them and my nurseries all say they can't order them for me :o(

Mind sharing where you got yours from...would love to pick up a couple of those 4" pots if its not too far. I live 2 hours south of Orlando.

Thanks so much

Puglvr1 -

look at this link - Violetbarn carries quite a variety of Nematanthus - and in Orlando you can keep them outside - you just need to carry them inside when you have a freeze.

I would say that Tropicana and Black Gold are the easiest.

I.

Here is a link that might be useful: nematanthus galore

Thanks so much Irina, I was really hoping to find it locally as the shipping charges have gotten quite expensive...so much more than the actual plant itself. If I really get desperate I will go ahead and buy one online, but I'm not there yet,lol...Thanks again!

I am not sure why you cannot find it in Florida in a good nursery. This genus grows really well there. I would call them using not only Goldfish - but Nematanthus name - I would say professionals prefer to use botanical names and check if they carry them. The well grown hanging basket will cost you $10-25, so I am not sure you will save a lot.

In the beginning of October Florida African Violet Council is going to have their Convention in Lakeland. I am sure if you get to go there - you will find plenty of stuff to buy for very reasonable money - plus seeing the Show is a treat of itself.

Check avsa.org option Events.

good Luck

irina

Thank you for the link Irina...I might be able to make the Lakeland convention in Oct. Lakeland is less than an hour away for me. Appreciate it!

Hi Irina, just wanted to let you know I finally found my Goldfish plant from Gardino's nursery here in FL. I ordered two hoyas and one goldfish plant as well...saved on shipping since I was ordering 3 plants. Thanks for all your help.

I checked with the nursery and they don't get a lot of the goldfish plants (and when they do it's just the common orange ones.) They do get lipstick plants more often and I recall hearing about them growing up down here more then the goldfish plants. At the nursery they say the goldfish plants don't grow that well down here but I don't see why.
They are slow growers so that might be part of it. Mine are doing fine under the trees.
Do they have the spring convention in Valrico every year? That's only a mile or two away from me, and if it's at that fairgrounds area I know right where it's at.
I told them how I had seen goldfish plants more in CO and they said the drier climate was more favorable; I have a northern catalpa which grows like a weed up there and out of 9 that I started with 3 yrs ago I have one left and it has to grow in partial shade to survive so who knows?

I saw gorgeous Nematanthus Ubatuba in a back yard in Tampa area - this is a large leaf and generally large plant. Most of Nematanthus do have orange or pale orange flowers. There are some exotic red, white and greenish with dots blooming species - but they are harder to grow and not available in a general nursery sale.
Nematanthus comes from South America - I bet it is not dry in Brazil ;-)), but my understanding - it is an understory plant - it grows under the trees and on the trees as epiphyte - so dappled light would be good.

Aeschynanthus (lipstick plant) takes the same niche - but in tropical Asia - so requirements are similar. Aeschynathus flowers of the available in nurseries varieties are mostly red, one really easy and quite wide spread species A. longicaulis (marmoratus) has interesting green flowers and gorgeous marble backed leaves.
Some time ago a Florida member of this forum posted a pic of a large and well grown specimen of this plant - and it was growing in a back yard. Very desirable A.hybrid is called "Black Pagoda".

Regarding conventions - the local gesneriad and AV clubs usually run their shows once a year mostly in the same place. The larger conventions are done in different towns every year - because most of the work is done by the hosting club - and they take turns.

You check gesneriadsociety.org and avsa.org on "events" - so you will know who runs what in your vicinity. I would say you are in luck if you have a club nearby you can join
- this is usually a source of knowledge, cuttings and nice people to associate with.

(Just do not use the words "lipstick" and "goldfish" - if you are dealing with gesneriad crowd - they like to use botanical names - even sometimes not very many people know how to pronounce it right - for me - the biggest issue is Kohleria warszewiczii - I grow this beautiful plant - but i cannot "voice" it.)

Cheers

Irina

Here is a link that might be useful: hybrids and species of Nematanthus