About
Callisia navicularis is a tender perennial or annual known for its trailing growth pattern. It develops dense mats of thick, ridged stems that can root at the nodes. The leaves are broadly ovate, somewhat fleshy, and pointed, exhibiting faintly serrated margins. In late spring and early summer, the plant produces clusters of pink flowers featuring yellow stamens in the leaf axils.
About the genus
Callisia consists of evergreen perennials that can either trail or grow in a bushy form. They feature somewhat thickened stems and foliage, along with small flowers that have three petals, typically in white or pink hues.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Partial shade
- Soil type
- Chalk, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Well-drained
- Aspect
- East-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H1C
Plant details
- Plant type
- Herbaceous Perennial, Houseplants
- Habit
- Matforming, Trailing
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Height
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Spread
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 5-10 years
- Suggested uses
- Hanging basket, Houseplants, Patio and container plants, Rock garden, Sub-tropical
- Native to
- E & NE Mexico
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Can be grown outdoors where temperatures do not fall below 10°C in winter; more often grown in a hanging basket or container or as a houseplant. Grow in two parts peat-free John Innes No 2 and one part grit, in bright filtered light. Water freely in the growing season and apply a liquid fertiliser monthly
- Pruning
- No pruning required
- Propagation
- Propagate by softwood cuttings, by root cuttings, removing 6-7cm of the root tip in spring, or by division, removing rooted offsets. To produce dense coverage, pot up several cuttings in an 8cm container
- Pest resistance
- Generally pest-free
- Disease resistance
- Generally disease-free