With its puffed-up flowers in bright colors, the slipper flower (Calceolaria) is a popular flowering plant for the balcony, garden and indoor culture. Its flowers are reminiscent of a slipper, hence the German name of this interesting plant, originally from the subtropics of South America.
Most slipper flower species are not hardy
Slipper flowers in room culture
There are around 300 different species of slipper flower, some of which are annual, but some are biennial or even perennial. The specimens sold mostly in August are usually just annual varieties that flower over the winter and eventually die off after flowering. These plants do not need any special hibernation, but simply get a nice, warm spot on the windowsill at home.
Biennial and perennial slipper flowers
Other types and varieties, on the other hand, were bred specifically for perennial cultivation on the balcony or in the garden, although the slipper flowers in particular, which are sometimes declared as "hardy", are not. You can plant hardy slipper flowers in the garden, but the plants need adequate protection by covering them with leaves and brushwood. Biennial varieties in particular, which are usually not hardy, overwinter under cold house conditions frost-free, but cool at a maximum of 10 °C. Make sure you have enough light in your winter quarters!
Propagating slipper flowers
Instead of laboriously overwintering the plants, you can simply use the mother plant for propagation in autumn and take the cuttings over the winter instead.
Cut back slipper flowers?
Unlike many other perennials, you don't need to prune slipper flowers before the winter break. Instead, it is sufficient to regularly remove faded and dried-up parts of the plant - then the plant often develops another flower. However, you should water slipper flowers in the winter quarters from time to time, only fertilizing can be omitted.
tips
The garden slipper flower (Calceolaria integrifolia) was specially bred for planting out in the garden. Particularly hardy varieties are "Sunset", "Sunshine" and "Goldbukett". These usually sprout again quite successfully in the spring.