After our house fire last year, we moved into a downtown apartment for about seven months while we rebuilt our house. Many of my houseplants died in the fire, but many survived since I had moved them out to the front porch for summer. Then, after many were stolen from the porch, I moved the remaining plants to a friend’s house for safe keeping, since there was no way our tiny north-facing apartment could support that many plants. However, being the plant geek that I am, I couldn’t stand the lack of plant life in the apartment and ended up purchasing two small plants, one Rex Begonia to replace one that was stolen, and one adorable little thing called a Goldfish Plant.

Caring for a Goldfish Plant

This is my first time caring for a Goldfish plant, or Nematanthus gregarious, and one year later, it has been putting out blooms at a steady rate for about a month now. It seems very easy to care for, requiring little but good light and water about once a week. I have mine in an east-facing window, but many online forums say that it does well in less direct light as well.

While the foliage is nice and glossy and dark green, the adorable orange blooms shaped like little goldfish with big bellies (hence the common name) are really what makes this plant fun. If yours isn’t blooming well, try a brighter location. Low humidity also can affect bloom production and can be remedied with a pebble tray or a humidifier.

Overwatering is probably the worst thing you could do for this plant as it likes its soil on the dry side, especially in winter. Be sure to use potting soil that drains well (never garden soil) and feel the soil before watering. Remember the number one rule for watering everything but pond plants: restrain yourself from giving them a drink if the soil feels moist.

Cont.

Occasional feeding with a mild balanced fertilizer during the growing season couldn’t hurt either. Once flowering ceases, pinch long stems just above a leaf node to encourage branching and a more compact, bushier plant.

Nematanthus gregarious is just one of about thirty species of the Nematanthus genus, which all belong to the Gesneriad family, the diverse family that also houses African Violets. They are native to Brazil, and are not frost tolerant, so be careful not to expose yours to temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

I recommend picking up one of these charming little plants next time you see one at the nursery. Mine makes me smile every time I see its fat little blooms.