Sinningia leucotricha is a great garden plant. seeds are very tiny but easy to grow from seeds, Can be grown in full sun along the coast. This is one of the most common species grown, sometimes mistakenly sold as canescens. It does fine with afternoon shade elsewhere. The salmon color is great and the fuzzy white leaves are a treasure. It is quite often sold by succulent growers because of the exposed caudex which can be quite attractive. The flowers are a beautiful salmon and open before the leaves are fully formed. These small leaves will expand over a month or so to reach 6-8" long.

 

Sinningia is a genus in the Gesneriaceae family that is mostly tuberous -- although some species are fibrous-rooted shrubs and some produce only rudimentary tubers. A few species are "stoloniferous," producing satellite tubers ( S. tubiflora), and most species are lithophytes (growing on rocks) or epiphytes, rather than truly terrestrial. With over 70 species, the genus spans from Central America all the way south to Argentina; however, the largest concentration of species are found in eastern and southern Brazil, where they grow in both the humid Atlantic rainforest and the rocky savannah known as "campos rupestres." To this genus belongs the common florist "gloxinia" (S. speciosa), as well as some miniature species (S. pusilla, S. concinna and the newly discovered S. sp. "Rio das Pedras"), and S. leucotricha, which is well sought after by growers of succulents (unfortunately, this latter plant is often grown erroneously as S. canescens, a different species). Many plants in the genus make attractive houseplants or garden subjects, and those from southern Brazil and Argentina specially have proven to be hardy to zone 7 (or even 6) in the U.S. In addition to attractive flowers, some species are grown for their beautiful pubescent haired leaves (S. leucotricha, S. hatschbachii, S. canescens, S. globulosa). Succulent growers also grow many species, particularly those with large exposed tubers (such as S. bulbosa, S. macrostachya, S. lineata). Flower color is mostly red, although some species have orange, yellowish, lavender-purple, green and white flowers (with or without spots). A few species also have fragrant flowers.