Briggsia

If the nursery catches on fire or there is an EF5 tornado bearing down or skies darken from a locust plague of biblical proportions, this is in the first armload we grab. A gesneriad from our collection in Asia where this grew on shaded, mossy rock faces enjoying Acer griseum and Emmenopterys henryi as neighbors. Gloriously large, totally tubular lavender-pink flowers awaken urges long forgotten. Hardy here at FRF in the maritime PNW. A portion of the proceeds goes to support the mission of Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy.

Very nice Chinese member of the African Violet family that is surprisingly hardy and well suited to milder gardens here in the Northwest. We have friends in North Vancouver BC who have grown this beautifully for years in their moist woodland garden. This would typically grow on mossy rocks in the wild. Yellow tubular flowers. Not that we're big fans of the genre but having watched the movie 'Transformers' on a flight back from the UK, we think Tremacron would be a great name for one of those big robot things.

This gesneriad (African Violet family) is from our collection just miles from the China-Vietnam border. Small narrow-necked yellow flowers over evergreen rosettes of leaves. We have seen this species in numerous sites including southern China growing on mossy rocks, fallen logs or epiphytically. Has proven hardy in our zone 8b winters with good drainage. A Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy Offering.

This is from seed collected in 2010 at 3500' from cliffs on the lower slopes of Fanjingshan in Guizhou. What fun it was to see this gesneriad in the wild! Purplish flowers are held on short 4" stems and this is a must-have if you fancy Afican Violets and Streptocarpus. Frost-free and good drainage.

A frost-tender gesneriad from China formerly in the genus Briggsia. In the wild, this is found at low elevations growing on mossy rocks in moist shaded positions. This has comparatively big white flowers whose QR code pattern of yellow and red in the throat starts to make sense, telling you things, if you stare at it long enough. Great for the cool greenhouse or African Violet culture.

Sweet little gesneriad (African Violet family) from our collection in Asia in an area not botanized by westerners. This was common in soil pockets on rock faces where it formed rosettes of evergreen leaves with scapes (flower stems) to 10" tall. Up to 9 tubular light purple flowers on each reddish stem and we've had 6 stems in a 4" pot so we're talking some serious floral output here. Given its collection location, we expect this to be at least zone 8b hardy. Proceeds from this offering go to support the mission of Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy.

Cool little gesneriad which recently was transferred from the now defunct genus Briggsia Glabrella. We only call this molecular meddling when we are updating our various database entries and pot tags. Shaded moist areas in Guangxi and SE Yunnan and can take light frosts. White/pale pink flowers.