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Evita Hardy Gloxinia

Seemannia nematanthodes (see-MAHN-ee-ah nee-ma-tan-THO-deez ee-VEE-tah)

Family: Gesneriaceae Unknown Herbaceous (1-3 ft)

After a plant exploration trip to Argentina, the gloxinia cultivar 'Evita' was introduced by Plants Delight Nursery in 2004. It is a tropical looking perennial cultivar in the Gesneriaceae (African violet) family with red stems and screaming orange/red flowers. The parent plant is native to high mountain regions of Argentina making it very cold hardy for a gloxinia. Its leaves are fuzzy and cling close to the ground making the plant no taller than a foot in height. It spreads by above ground stolons, making it an excellent choice as groundcover for shady areas. Keep plants dry in their dormant winter months. In the spring, it is slower than other plants to emerge. Expect sprouts to appear in April. Great for a shady location with other shade plants. Its spread will accent other plants without becoming overpowering.

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 52 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft) Optimal soil pH Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Fills a similar niche Buddleja x weyeriana Calibrachoa x hybrida Xerochrysum bracteatum

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Bulb; Ground Cover; Herbaceous Perennial; Houseplant; Perennial
Life cycle
Perennial
USDA zones
8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b
Light
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt)
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Moist
Available space
12 inches-3 feet; 3 feet-6 feet
NC region
Coastal; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 0 ft. 6 in. - 1 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Cascading; Horizontal; Mounding; Spreading
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Obovate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Flower color
Orange; Red/Burgundy
Flower value
Good Cut; Long Bloom Season; Showy
Flower form
Solitary
Flower shape
Bell; Tubular
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
1" long bright red-orange bells with four petals appear in July and bloom until frost.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Stem color
Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
Erect stem.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Bolivia to NW. Argentina
Wildlife value
Hummingbirds are attracted to the flowers.
Attracts
Hummingbirds
Play value
Attractive Flowers; Colorful; Shade
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Patio; Slope/Bank; Walkways
Landscape theme
Cutting Garden; Rock Garden; Shade Garden; Winter Garden
Design feature
Accent; Border; Mass Planting; Small groups; Specimen
Garden tags
#tropical herbaceous perennial #long bloom time #red flowers #flowers mid-summer #orange flowers #tropical feel #flowers early fall #flowers late summer #shade garden #herbaceous #succulent #cutting garden #compact #humidity tolerant #winter hardy #deciduous #velvety #perennial
Problems & Resistance
Resistant to
Humidity
Propagation
Division; Stem Cutting

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.