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Species library › Columnea › Columnea microcalyx
Other Little published: much of this is inferred from related species

Columnea microcalyx

goldfish plant

The goldfish plant: a trailing or hanging epiphytic gesneriad with small paired leaves and tubular red to orange flowers. It ranges from southeast Mexico through Central America to Colombia and Venezuela, and grows on trees in wet forest from near sea level to cloud forest. In cultivation it is a warm-to-intermediate basket plant that wants bright shade, steady moisture and an airy mix.

Columnea microcalyx
Photo: Helena Christina van de Pavord Smits, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
At home, aim for
Day IntermediateTargets in Plantistry
Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry
Humidity Ordinary room humidityBand in Plantistry
Light Dappled lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry
No rest periodGrows on trees (epiphyte)

Where it grows wild

An epiphyte on trunks and branches in humid tropical forest, from lowland wet forest to montane cloud and elfin forest. Herbarium labels mention primary and secondary forest, forest along creeks, residual forest and cloud forest (including the elfin forest at Monteverde). The stems hang or arch from the host.

GBIF specimens with elevations run from about 15 m to 2,650 m, median about 960 m (240 records); most come from Costa Rica.

MexicoGuatemalaHondurasNicaraguaCosta RicaPanamaColombiaVenezuelaEcuador

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates
✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it
✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light
✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it
✓ Substrate and airflow
✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

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Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, used under its Public domain licence, unmodified.