Hardy Gesneriads – Ramonda serbica

When I was young I always felt that the Gesneriads like African Violets, Gloxinias and Streptocarpus were the epitome of exotic tropicals, and I still have a soft spot for them. The good news is that there are a number of hardy and near hardy ones, some well known some less so. The Ramondas and Harbeleas are probably the best known and most hardy.

Ramonda serbica is one of my favourites, partly because I grew my plants from seed, but mainly because I think it has the best flowers. I’ve still not perfected growing these from seed. Like Shortias the seed is tiny and although they germinate well when sown onto the surface of the compost and kept close and warm, they take forever to get going and most just simply die off. They can be only a millimetre or two after several years and then suddenly one or two will start growing rapidly.

I keep Ramonda serbica in the greenhouse under the staging in deep shade. Apart from taking a fair amount of water it seems to be no more difficult that Ramonda myconi.