Gloxinia perennis

Gloxinia, Perennial Gloxinia

Message of the Flower

Broadening of the Emotional Centre

The Mother’s Comment

It opens and widens itself in order to receive better.

Spiritual Message by the Mother/ Quotes by Sri Aurobindo

Emotion is an excellent and indispensable thing in human nature, in spite of all its shortcomings and dangers… But our aim is to go beyond mental ideas into the light of the supramental Truth, which exists not by ideative thought but by direct vision and identity. In the same way our aim is to go beyond emotion to the height and depth and intensity of the Divine Love and there feel through the inner psychic heart an inexhaustible oneness with the Divine which the spasmodic leapings of the vital emotions cannot reach or experience.

Sri Aurobindo, Letters on Yoga - II: Divine Love, Psychic Love and Human Love

Emotion is a good element in Yoga; but emotional desire becomes easily a cause of perturbation and an obstacle.

Turn your emotions towards the Divine, aspire for their purification; they will then become a help on the way and no longer a cause of suffering.

Not to kill emotion, but to turn it towards the Divine is the right way of the Yoga.

But it must become pure, founded upon spiritual peace and joy, capable of being transmuted into Ananda. Equality and calm in the mind and vital parts, an intense psychic emotion in the heart can perfectly go together.

Awake by your aspiration the psychic fire in the heart that burns steadily towards the Divine—that is the one way to liberate and fulfil the emotional nature.

Sri Aurobindo, Letters on Yoga - II: Bhakti, Devotion, Worship

Colour

violet and blue to pink and white.

Family

Gesneriaceae

Cultivars

Limited, as the species itself is often grown.

Flower Size

large, up to 3-4 inches across.

Flower Texture

Soft and velvety.

Number of Petals

Typically has five fused petals forming a bell shape.

Floral Symmetry

Bilaterally symmetrical.

Fragrance of Flower

Some have a mild fragrance.

Leaf Texture

velvety and soft to the touch.

Leaf Arrangement

Basal rosette.

Leaf Color

Green, often with a slightly fuzzy appearance.

Structural Variation (Shrub or Tree)

Herbaceous perennial.

Life Cycle

Perennial

Blooming Period

Late spring to summer.

Climate

Prefers warm, humid tropical to subtropical climates.

Water Requirements

Moderate, prefers consistently moist but well-drained soil.

Soil Type

Rich, well-drained, high organic matter.

Temperature Ranges

Does best in temperatures above 60F (15C); not frost-tolerant.

Sun or Shade

Prefers bright, indirect light or partial shade.

Susceptibility to Insects and Diseases

Susceptible to mealybugs, aphids, and fungal diseases.

Pollinators

Attracts bees and other insects.

Habitat

Native to Central and South America, in forested, humid environments.

Role in the Ecosystem

Adds to the biodiversity; attracts pollinators.

Ornamental

Highly valued as an ornamental plant for its beautiful flowers and foliage.

Uses in Other Aspects of Life

Primarily for ornamental gardening.

Endangered Status

Not listed as endangered, but habitat destruction could impact wild populations.