Falling for Columnea: A Personal Journey into the World of Goldfish Plants
My name is Ferb Vu, and I have a confession to make: I’m utterly captivated by Columnea from the Gesneriaceae family. These aren’t your average houseplants. With their vibrant, cascading flowers and lush foliage, they bring a touch of the exotic into any space. My fascination began innocently enough, with a single cutting gifted by a friend. Now, years later, my home is practically a Columnea sanctuary.
What is it about these plants that has so thoroughly enchanted me? Perhaps it’s their dramatic flair. The flowers, often fiery red or sunshine yellow, dangle like jewels from the trailing stems. Their shape, often likened to leaping goldfish, adds to their whimsical charm. Or maybe it’s their resilience. Columnea are epiphytes, meaning they grow on other plants in their natural habitat, the tropical rainforests of Central and South America. This inherent hardiness translates well to indoor environments, making them relatively easy to care for, even for a novice gardener like myself.
A Diverse and Dazzling Genus
The genus Columnea boasts a remarkable diversity, with over 200 recognized species. Each one possesses unique characteristics that make it special. Some of my personal favorites include:
- Columnea albiflora L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
- Columnea albovinosa (M.Freiberg) J.L.Clark & L.E.Skog
- Columnea aliena (C.V.Morton) C.V.Morton
- Columnea allenii C.V.Morton
- Columnea ambigua (Urb.) B.D.Morley
- Columnea ampliata (Wiehler) L.E.Skog
- Columnea angulata J.L.Clark & Tobar
- Columnea angustata (Wiehler) L.E.Skog
- Columnea anisophylla DC.
- Columnea antennifera J.L.Clark & Clavijo
- Columnea antiocana (Wiehler) J.F.Sm.
- Columnea argentea Griseb.
- Columnea arguta C.V.Morton
- Columnea asteroloma (Wiehler) L.E.Skog
- Columnea atahualpae J.F.Sm. & L.E.Skog
- Columnea aurantia Wiehler
- Columnea aurea Warsz.
- Columnea bilabiata Seem.
- Columnea billbergiana Beurl.
- Columnea bivalvis J.L.Clark & M.Amaya
- Columnea blancoi J.E.Jiménez, Chinchilla & Kriebel
- Columnea brenneri (Wiehler) B.D.Morley
- Columnea brevipila Urb.
- Columnea byrsina (Wiehler) L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
- Columnea calotricha Donn.Sm.
- Columnea canarina Wiehler
- Columnea capillosa L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
- Columnea carinata J.L.Clark & L.E.Skog
- Columnea caudata M.Amaya & L.P.Kvist
- Columnea cerropirrana (Wiehler) L.E.Skog
- Columnea ceticeps J.L.Clark & J.F.Sm.
- Columnea chiricana Wiehler
- Columnea chocoensis M.Amaya & L.E.Skog
- Columnea chrysotricha L.E.Skog & L.P.Kvist
- Columnea ciliata (Wiehler) L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
- Columnea citriflora L.E.Skog
- Columnea cobana Donn.Sm.
- Columnea colombiana (Wiehler) L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
- Columnea consanguinea Hanst.
- Columnea coronata M.Amaya, L.E.Skog & L.P.Kvist
- Columnea coronocrypta M.Amaya, L.E.Skog & L.P.Kvist
- Columnea corralesii M.Amaya & J.F.Sm.
- Columnea crassa C.V.Morton
- Columnea crassicaulis (Wiehler) L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
- Columnea crassifolia Brongn.
- Columnea cruenta B.D.Morley
- Columnea cuspidata L.E.Skog & L.P.Kvist
- Columnea dictyophylla Donn.Sm.
- Columnea dielsii Mansf.
- Columnea dimidiata (Benth.) Kuntze
- Columnea dissimilis C.V.Morton
- Columnea domingensis (Urb.) B.D.Morley
- Columnea dressleri Wiehler
- Columnea eburnea (Wiehler) L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
- Columnea elongatifolia L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
- Columnea ericae Mansf.
- Columnea erythrophaea Linden ex Larché
- Columnea erythrophylla Hanst.
- Columnea eubracteata Mansf.
- Columnea fawcettii (Urb.) C.V.Morton
- Columnea fernandezii M.Amaya
- Columnea ferruginea J.F.Sm. & J.L.Clark
- Columnea figueroae M.Amaya
- Columnea filamentosa L.E.Skog
- Columnea filifera (Wiehler) L.E.Skog & L.P.Kvist
- Columnea filipes Oliv.
- Columnea fimbricalyx L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
- Columnea flaccida Seem.
- Columnea flexiflora L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
- Columnea floribunda Tobar & J.L.Clark
- Columnea florida C.V.Morton
- Columnea fluidifolia J.L.Clark & Tobar
- Columnea foreroi M.Amaya
- Columnea formosa (C.V.Morton) C.V.Morton
- Columnea fractiflexa J.F.Sm. & J.L.Clark
- Columnea fritschii (Rusby) J.F.Sm.
- Columnea fuscihirta L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
- Columnea gallicauda Wiehler
- Columnea gigantifolia L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
- Columnea glabra Oerst.
- Columnea grata (Oerst. ex Hanst.) C.V.Morton
- Columnea grisebachiana Kuntze
- Columnea guatemalensis Sprague
- Columnea guianensis C.V.Morton
- Columnea guttata Poepp.
- Columnea harrisii (Urb.) Britton ex Morton
- Columnea herthae Mansf.
- Columnea hiantiflora Wiehler
- Columnea hirsuta Sw.
- Columnea hirsutissima C.V.Morton
- Columnea hirta Klotzsch & Hanst.
- Columnea hispida Sw.
- Columnea hypocyrtantha (Wiehler) J.F.Sm. & L.E.Skog
- Columnea illepida H.E.Moore
- Columnea inaequilatera Poepp.
- Columnea incarnata C.V.Morton
- Columnea incredibilis L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
- Columnea isernii Cuatrec.
- Columnea kalbreyeriana Mast.
- Columnea karstenianum R.Kr.Singh
- Columnea katzensteiniae (Wiehler) L.E.Skog & L.P.Kvist
- Columnea kienastiana Regel
- Columnea kucyniakii Raymond
- Columnea labellosa H.Karst.
- Columnea laciniata J.L.Clark & M.Amaya
- Columnea laevis L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
- Columnea lanata (Seem.) Kuntze
- Columnea lariensis Kriebel
- Columnea lehmannii Mansf.
- Columnea lepidocaula Hanst.
- Columnea linearis Oerst.
- Columnea longinervosa L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
- Columnea longipedicellata M.Amaya, Clavijo & O.H.MarÃn
- Columnea lophophora Mansf.
- Columnea lucifer J.L.Clark
- Columnea maculata C.V.Morton
- Columnea magnifica Klotzsch ex Oerst.
- Columnea manabiana (Wiehler) J.F.Sm. & L.E.Skog
- Columnea mastersonii (Wiehler) L.E.Skog & L.P.Kvist
- Columnea medicinalis (Wiehler) L.E.Skog & L.P.Kvist
- Columnea megafolia L.E.Skog & M.Amaya
- Columnea microcalyx Hanst.
- Columnea microphylla Klotzsch & Hanst. ex Oerst.
- Columnea minor (Hook.) Hanst.
- Columnea minutiflora L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
- Columnea mira B.D.Morley
- Columnea moesta Poepp.
- Columnea moorei C.V.Morton
- Columnea nariniana (Wiehler) L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
- Columnea nematoloba L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
- Columnea nervosa (Klotzsch ex Oerst.) Hanst.
- Columnea nicaraguensis Oerst.
- Columnea oblongifolia Rusby
- Columnea ochroleuca (Klotzsch ex Oerst.) Hanst.
- Columnea oerstediana Klotzsch ex Oerst.
- Columnea orientandina (Wiehler) L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
- Columnea ornata (Wiehler) L.E.Skog & L.P.Kvist
- Columnea ovatifolia L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
- Columnea oxyphylla Hanst.
- Columnea panamensis C.V.Morton
- Columnea paraguensis M.Amaya & J.F.Sm.
- Columnea paramicola (Wiehler) L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
- Columnea parviflora C.V.Morton
- Columnea pectinata C.V.Morton
- Columnea pedunculata M.Amaya, L.E.Skog & L.P.Kvist
- Columnea pendens J.L.Clark, Tobar & J.F.Sm.
- Columnea pendula (Klotzsch ex Oerst.) Hanst.
- Columnea perpulchra C.V.Morton
- Columnea peruviana Zahlbr.
- Columnea polyantha (Wiehler) L.E.Skog
- Columnea poortmannii (Wiehler) L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
- Columnea praetexta Hanst.
- Columnea proctorii Stearn
- Columnea pubescens (Griseb.) Kuntze
- Columnea pulcherrima C.V.Morton
- Columnea pulchra (Wiehler) L.E.Skog
- Columnea purpurata Hanst.
- Columnea purpureovittata (Wiehler) B.D.Morley
- Columnea purpurimarginata L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
- Columnea purpusii Standl.
- Columnea pygmaea J.L.Clark & J.F.Sm.
- Columnea querceti Oerst.
- Columnea queremalensis M.Amaya, L.E.Skog & L.P.Kvist
- Columnea rangelii M.Amaya & O.H.MarÃn
- Columnea raymondii C.V.Morton
- Columnea repens (Hook.) Hanst.
- Columnea reticulata M.Amaya, L.E.Skog, C.E.González & J.F.Sm.
- Columnea rileyi (Wiehler) J.F.Sm.
- Columnea ringens Regel
- Columnea robusta (Wiehler) L.E.Skog
- Columnea rosea (C.V.Morton) C.V.Morton
- Columnea rubra C.V.Morton
- Columnea rubriacuta (Wiehler) L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
- Columnea rubribracteata L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
- Columnea rubricalyx L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
- Columnea rubricaulis Standl.
- Columnea rubrocincta C.V.Morton
- Columnea rutilans Sw.
- Columnea sanguinea (Pers.) Hanst.
- Columnea sanguinolenta (Klotzsch ex Oerst.) Hanst.
- Columnea scandens L.
- Columnea schiedeana Schltdl.
- Columnea schimpffii Mansf.
- Columnea segregata B.D.Morley
- Columnea sericeovillosa Suess.
- Columnea serrata (Klotzsch ex Oerst.) Hanst.
- Columnea silvarum C.V.Morton
- Columnea skogii M.Amaya
- Columnea spathulata Mansf.
- Columnea stilesiana M.Amaya & L.P.Kvist
- Columnea stricta Rusby
- Columnea strigosa Benth.
- Columnea subcordata C.V.Morton
- Columnea suffruticosa J.F.Sm. & L.E.Skog
- Columnea sulcata L.E.Skog & L.P.Kvist
- Columnea sulfurea Donn.Sm.
- Columnea tandapiana (Wiehler) L.E.Skog & L.P.Kvist
- Columnea tecta J.L.Clark & Clavijo
- Columnea tenella L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
- Columnea tenensis (Wiehler) B.D.Morley
- Columnea tenuis Klotzsch ex Oerst.
- Columnea tessmannii Mansf.
- Columnea tincta Griseb.
- Columnea tomentulosa C.V.Morton
- Columnea trollii Mansf.
- Columnea tutunendana (Wiehler) L.E.Skog
- Columnea ulei Mansf.
- Columnea ultraviolacea J.F.Sm. & L.E.Skog
- Columnea urbanii Stearn
- Columnea verecunda C.V.Morton
- Columnea villosissima Mansf.
- Columnea vittata (Wiehler) L.E.Skog
- Columnea weberbaueri Mansf.
- Columnea xiphoidea J.F.Sm. & L.E.Skog
- Columnea zebranella Wiehler
- Columnea zebrina Raymond
Cultivating My Passion
Over time, I’ve learned a few tricks to keeping my Columnea happy and thriving. They prefer bright, indirect light, a well-draining potting mix, and consistent moisture without being soggy. I’ve found that they respond well to regular fertilizing during the growing season and appreciate a bit of humidity, which I provide by misting them occasionally or placing them on a tray of pebbles filled with water.
One of the most rewarding aspects of growing Columnea is propagating them. Taking cuttings and watching them develop into new plants is a truly satisfying experience. I’ve even started sharing my passion with others, gifting cuttings to friends and family.
More Than Just a Pretty Face
Beyond their aesthetic appeal, Columnea play a vital role in their natural ecosystems. Their flowers attract hummingbirds and other pollinators, contributing to the biodiversity of the rainforest. As an avid gardener, I find it incredibly fulfilling to cultivate a plant that not only brings me joy but also plays a part in the larger web of life.
My journey with Columnea has been one of continuous learning and discovery. These plants have not only brightened my home but also enriched my life. They’ve taught me patience, the rewards of careful observation, and the interconnectedness of all living things. And as I continue to explore the vast and varied world of Columnea, I know that many more delightful surprises await.