216 Species in Genus Columnea

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:

  1. Columnea albiflora L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
  2. Columnea albovinosa (M.Freiberg) J.L.Clark & L.E.Skog
  3. Columnea aliena (C.V.Morton) C.V.Morton
  4. Columnea allenii C.V.Morton
  5. Columnea ambigua (Urb.) B.D.Morley
  6. Columnea ampliata (Wiehler) L.E.Skog
  7. Columnea angulata J.L.Clark & Tobar
  8. Columnea angustata (Wiehler) L.E.Skog
  9. Columnea anisophylla DC.
  10. Columnea antennifera J.L.Clark & Clavijo
  11. Columnea antiocana (Wiehler) J.F.Sm.
  12. Columnea argentea Griseb.
  13. Columnea arguta C.V.Morton
  14. Columnea asteroloma (Wiehler) L.E.Skog
  15. Columnea atahualpae J.F.Sm. & L.E.Skog
  16. Columnea aurantia Wiehler
  17. Columnea aurea Warsz.
  18. Columnea bilabiata Seem.
  19. Columnea billbergiana Beurl.
  20. Columnea bivalvis J.L.Clark & M.Amaya
  21. Columnea blancoi J.E.Jiménez, Chinchilla & Kriebel
  22. Columnea brenneri (Wiehler) B.D.Morley
  23. Columnea brevipila Urb.
  24. Columnea byrsina (Wiehler) L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
  25. Columnea calotricha Donn.Sm.
  26. Columnea canarina Wiehler
  27. Columnea capillosa L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
  28. Columnea carinata J.L.Clark & L.E.Skog
  29. Columnea caudata M.Amaya & L.P.Kvist
  30. Columnea cerropirrana (Wiehler) L.E.Skog
  31. Columnea ceticeps J.L.Clark & J.F.Sm.
  32. Columnea chiricana Wiehler
  33. Columnea chocoensis M.Amaya & L.E.Skog
  34. Columnea chrysotricha L.E.Skog & L.P.Kvist
  35. Columnea ciliata (Wiehler) L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
  36. Columnea citriflora L.E.Skog
  37. Columnea cobana Donn.Sm.
  38. Columnea colombiana (Wiehler) L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
  39. Columnea consanguinea Hanst.
  40. Columnea coronata M.Amaya, L.E.Skog & L.P.Kvist
  41. Columnea coronocrypta M.Amaya, L.E.Skog & L.P.Kvist
  42. Columnea corralesii M.Amaya & J.F.Sm.
  43. Columnea crassa C.V.Morton
  44. Columnea crassicaulis (Wiehler) L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
  45. Columnea crassifolia Brongn.
  46. Columnea cruenta B.D.Morley
  47. Columnea cuspidata L.E.Skog & L.P.Kvist
  48. Columnea dictyophylla Donn.Sm.
  49. Columnea dielsii Mansf.
  50. Columnea dimidiata (Benth.) Kuntze
  51. Columnea dissimilis C.V.Morton
  52. Columnea domingensis (Urb.) B.D.Morley
  53. Columnea dressleri Wiehler
  54. Columnea eburnea (Wiehler) L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
  55. Columnea elongatifolia L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
  56. Columnea ericae Mansf.
  57. Columnea erythrophaea Linden ex Larché
  58. Columnea erythrophylla Hanst.
  59. Columnea eubracteata Mansf.
  60. Columnea fawcettii (Urb.) C.V.Morton
  61. Columnea fernandezii M.Amaya
  62. Columnea ferruginea J.F.Sm. & J.L.Clark
  63. Columnea figueroae M.Amaya
  64. Columnea filamentosa L.E.Skog
  65. Columnea filifera (Wiehler) L.E.Skog & L.P.Kvist
  66. Columnea filipes Oliv.
  67. Columnea fimbricalyx L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
  68. Columnea flaccida Seem.
  69. Columnea flexiflora L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
  70. Columnea floribunda Tobar & J.L.Clark
  71. Columnea florida C.V.Morton
  72. Columnea fluidifolia J.L.Clark & Tobar
  73. Columnea foreroi M.Amaya
  74. Columnea formosa (C.V.Morton) C.V.Morton
  75. Columnea fractiflexa J.F.Sm. & J.L.Clark
  76. Columnea fritschii (Rusby) J.F.Sm.
  77. Columnea fuscihirta L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
  78. Columnea gallicauda Wiehler
  79. Columnea gigantifolia L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
  80. Columnea glabra Oerst.
  81. Columnea grata (Oerst. ex Hanst.) C.V.Morton
  82. Columnea grisebachiana Kuntze
  83. Columnea guatemalensis Sprague
  84. Columnea guianensis C.V.Morton
  85. Columnea guttata Poepp.
  86. Columnea harrisii (Urb.) Britton ex Morton
  87. Columnea herthae Mansf.
  88. Columnea hiantiflora Wiehler
  89. Columnea hirsuta Sw.
  90. Columnea hirsutissima C.V.Morton
  91. Columnea hirta Klotzsch & Hanst.
  92. Columnea hispida Sw.
  93. Columnea hypocyrtantha (Wiehler) J.F.Sm. & L.E.Skog
  94. Columnea illepida H.E.Moore
  95. Columnea inaequilatera Poepp.
  96. Columnea incarnata C.V.Morton
  97. Columnea incredibilis L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
  98. Columnea isernii Cuatrec.
  99. Columnea kalbreyeriana Mast.
  100. Columnea karstenianum R.Kr.Singh
  101. Columnea katzensteiniae (Wiehler) L.E.Skog & L.P.Kvist
  102. Columnea kienastiana Regel
  103. Columnea kucyniakii Raymond
  104. Columnea labellosa H.Karst.
  105. Columnea laciniata J.L.Clark & M.Amaya
  106. Columnea laevis L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
  107. Columnea lanata (Seem.) Kuntze
  108. Columnea lariensis Kriebel
  109. Columnea lehmannii Mansf.
  110. Columnea lepidocaula Hanst.
  111. Columnea linearis Oerst.
  112. Columnea longinervosa L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
  113. Columnea longipedicellata M.Amaya, Clavijo & O.H.Marín
  114. Columnea lophophora Mansf.
  115. Columnea lucifer J.L.Clark
  116. Columnea maculata C.V.Morton
  117. Columnea magnifica Klotzsch ex Oerst.
  118. Columnea manabiana (Wiehler) J.F.Sm. & L.E.Skog
  119. Columnea mastersonii (Wiehler) L.E.Skog & L.P.Kvist
  120. Columnea medicinalis (Wiehler) L.E.Skog & L.P.Kvist
  121. Columnea megafolia L.E.Skog & M.Amaya
  122. Columnea microcalyx Hanst.
  123. Columnea microphylla Klotzsch & Hanst. ex Oerst.
  124. Columnea minor (Hook.) Hanst.
  125. Columnea minutiflora L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
  126. Columnea mira B.D.Morley
  127. Columnea moesta Poepp.
  128. Columnea moorei C.V.Morton
  129. Columnea nariniana (Wiehler) L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
  130. Columnea nematoloba L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
  131. Columnea nervosa (Klotzsch ex Oerst.) Hanst.
  132. Columnea nicaraguensis Oerst.
  133. Columnea oblongifolia Rusby
  134. Columnea ochroleuca (Klotzsch ex Oerst.) Hanst.
  135. Columnea oerstediana Klotzsch ex Oerst.
  136. Columnea orientandina (Wiehler) L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
  137. Columnea ornata (Wiehler) L.E.Skog & L.P.Kvist
  138. Columnea ovatifolia L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
  139. Columnea oxyphylla Hanst.
  140. Columnea panamensis C.V.Morton
  141. Columnea paraguensis M.Amaya & J.F.Sm.
  142. Columnea paramicola (Wiehler) L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
  143. Columnea parviflora C.V.Morton
  144. Columnea pectinata C.V.Morton
  145. Columnea pedunculata M.Amaya, L.E.Skog & L.P.Kvist
  146. Columnea pendens J.L.Clark, Tobar & J.F.Sm.
  147. Columnea pendula (Klotzsch ex Oerst.) Hanst.
  148. Columnea perpulchra C.V.Morton
  149. Columnea peruviana Zahlbr.
  150. Columnea polyantha (Wiehler) L.E.Skog
  151. Columnea poortmannii (Wiehler) L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
  152. Columnea praetexta Hanst.
  153. Columnea proctorii Stearn
  154. Columnea pubescens (Griseb.) Kuntze
  155. Columnea pulcherrima C.V.Morton
  156. Columnea pulchra (Wiehler) L.E.Skog
  157. Columnea purpurata Hanst.
  158. Columnea purpureovittata (Wiehler) B.D.Morley
  159. Columnea purpurimarginata L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
  160. Columnea purpusii Standl.
  161. Columnea pygmaea J.L.Clark & J.F.Sm.
  162. Columnea querceti Oerst.
  163. Columnea queremalensis M.Amaya, L.E.Skog & L.P.Kvist
  164. Columnea rangelii M.Amaya & O.H.Marín
  165. Columnea raymondii C.V.Morton
  166. Columnea repens (Hook.) Hanst.
  167. Columnea reticulata M.Amaya, L.E.Skog, C.E.González & J.F.Sm.
  168. Columnea rileyi (Wiehler) J.F.Sm.
  169. Columnea ringens Regel
  170. Columnea robusta (Wiehler) L.E.Skog
  171. Columnea rosea (C.V.Morton) C.V.Morton
  172. Columnea rubra C.V.Morton
  173. Columnea rubriacuta (Wiehler) L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
  174. Columnea rubribracteata L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
  175. Columnea rubricalyx L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
  176. Columnea rubricaulis Standl.
  177. Columnea rubrocincta C.V.Morton
  178. Columnea rutilans Sw.
  179. Columnea sanguinea (Pers.) Hanst.
  180. Columnea sanguinolenta (Klotzsch ex Oerst.) Hanst.
  181. Columnea scandens L.
  182. Columnea schiedeana Schltdl.
  183. Columnea schimpffii Mansf.
  184. Columnea segregata B.D.Morley
  185. Columnea sericeovillosa Suess.
  186. Columnea serrata (Klotzsch ex Oerst.) Hanst.
  187. Columnea silvarum C.V.Morton
  188. Columnea skogii M.Amaya
  189. Columnea spathulata Mansf.
  190. Columnea stilesiana M.Amaya & L.P.Kvist
  191. Columnea stricta Rusby
  192. Columnea strigosa Benth.
  193. Columnea subcordata C.V.Morton
  194. Columnea suffruticosa J.F.Sm. & L.E.Skog
  195. Columnea sulcata L.E.Skog & L.P.Kvist
  196. Columnea sulfurea Donn.Sm.
  197. Columnea tandapiana (Wiehler) L.E.Skog & L.P.Kvist
  198. Columnea tecta J.L.Clark & Clavijo
  199. Columnea tenella L.P.Kvist & L.E.Skog
  200. Columnea tenensis (Wiehler) B.D.Morley
  201. Columnea tenuis Klotzsch ex Oerst.
  202. Columnea tessmannii Mansf.
  203. Columnea tincta Griseb.
  204. Columnea tomentulosa C.V.Morton
  205. Columnea trollii Mansf.
  206. Columnea tutunendana (Wiehler) L.E.Skog
  207. Columnea ulei Mansf.
  208. Columnea ultraviolacea J.F.Sm. & L.E.Skog
  209. Columnea urbanii Stearn
  210. Columnea verecunda C.V.Morton
  211. Columnea villosissima Mansf.
  212. Columnea vittata (Wiehler) L.E.Skog
  213. Columnea weberbaueri Mansf.
  214. Columnea xiphoidea J.F.Sm. & L.E.Skog
  215. Columnea zebranella Wiehler
  216. 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.

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