Gloxinia (Sinningia speciosa) care

Begonias & violets · needs attention to keep

Last updated 26 October 2026

Gloxinia (Sinningia speciosa) wants bright indirect light. Water it every 5 days. Water from below or around the edge with tepid water, keeping it off the velvety leaves, and let the top dry slightly between waterings. Pot it in a light African violet mix — peat-free compost with plenty of perlite. A high-phosphorus African violet feed at quarter strength with most waterings while in flower, and repot once a year. Humidity: above 50%. The ASPCA lists it as non-toxic to cats and dogs.

The gloxinia: big, velvety leaves and large, bell-shaped flowers in purple, red, pink or white, often ruffled or spotted. It grows from a tuber and rests after flowering — it isn't dead, and comes back if you let it rest.

Quick facts

Water: Water every 5 days. Water from below or around the edge with tepid water, keeping it off the velvety leaves, and let the top dry slightly between waterings.
Light: Bright indirect light.
Humidity: Above 50%.
Soil: A light African violet mix — peat-free compost with plenty of perlite.
Feeding: A high-phosphorus African violet feed at quarter strength with most waterings while in flower.
Repotting: Repot once a year.
Toxic to pets: Non-toxic to cats and dogs. The ASPCA lists Gloxinia (Sinningia speciosa) as non-toxic to cats and dogs (checked 26 October 2026).
Difficulty: Needs attention.
Mature size: 20–30 cm tall.
Native to: Brazil.

Watering a Gloxinia

Water every 5 days. Water from below or around the edge with tepid water, keeping it off the velvety leaves, and let the top dry slightly between waterings.

That cadence is the one PlantParlour sets for this species when you name it, and it is deliberately on the cautious side — a plant that asks a day early is safer than one that asks a day late. Log each watering and the reminder moves with the plant rather than with the calendar.

Light

Bright indirect light — an east window is close to perfect. African violets flower reliably at a light level that suits an ordinary room, which is much of why they have been popular for a century.

Humidity and temperature

Above 50%. Central heating in winter is what turns a comfortable room into a dry one, and it is the usual reason an established plant suddenly browns at the edges or picks up spider mites.

Soil and potting

A light open mix in a small shallow pot. African violets flower best when snug and rot if the crown sits in wet compost.

Feeding

A high-phosphorus African violet feed at quarter strength with most waterings while in flower. Stop feeding in autumn and start again when you see new growth in spring — feeding a plant that isn't growing just builds up salts in the pot.

Repotting

Repot once a year. After flowering it dies back to its tuber. Water less as the leaves wither, keep the tuber dry and cool for two or three months, then repot in fresh compost and start watering again.

Common problems

Pale rings and blotches on the leaves
Cold water splashed on the leaves.

Fix: Water from below with tepid water. The marks are permanent on those leaves.
No flowers
Too little light, too big a pot, or too much nitrogen.

Fix: Move it to a bright east window, keep it snug, and use a high-phosphorus feed.
Crown going soft and brown
Water sat in the centre of the rosette.

Fix: Water from below only. A rotted crown is usually fatal — take leaf cuttings while you can.

Propagation

Leaf cuttings root in damp compost; or divide a large tuber while it is dormant.

A cutting taken in PlantParlour keeps its link to the plant it came from, so a propagation years later still traces back to the mother plant — which is the point if you ever sell or trade it.

Toxicity and safety

Non-toxic to cats and dogs.

The ASPCA lists Gloxinia (Sinningia speciosa) as non-toxic to cats and dogs (checked 26 October 2026).

If your pet has eaten a plant, call your vet, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center on (888) 426-4435, or the Pet Poison Helpline on (855) 764-7661. Both are open around the clock and may charge a consultation fee. Take the plant or its label with you.

This is general information, not veterinary advice. We don't test plants: what we say about toxicity follows the ASPCA's published plant list as it stood on 26 October 2026, and that list can change. "Non-toxic" means not poisonous — a pet that eats enough of any plant can still vomit, and fertiliser, pesticide or leaf shine on a plant can harm it. It also only helps if the plant is what you think it is. It covers cats and dogs only; ask your vet about rabbits, birds, reptiles or anything else, and a doctor about children. Read our terms.

Every houseplant in the library the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs

Questions people ask

How often should you water a Gloxinia?

Water every 5 days as a starting point — that is the cadence PlantParlour sets for Sinningia speciosa. Water from below or around the edge with tepid water, keeping it off the velvety leaves, and let the top dry slightly between waterings. Light, pot size and the time of year all move that number, so treat it as a reminder to go and check rather than a rule.

How much light does a Gloxinia need?

Bright indirect light — an east window is close to perfect. African violets flower reliably at a light level that suits an ordinary room, which is much of why they have been popular for a century.

Is Gloxinia toxic to cats and dogs?

Non-toxic to cats and dogs. The ASPCA lists Gloxinia (Sinningia speciosa) as non-toxic to cats and dogs (checked 26 October 2026). If a pet has eaten part of a plant, call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center on (888) 426-4435 straight away.

How do you propagate a Gloxinia?