CALCEOLARIA. Mexico to South America. Perennials of quite variable habit, distinguished by brightly colored blossoms with petals joined and rolled inward to form a shoe-like pouch. Cultural tolerances and hardiness vary. In general they are best near the coast.
arachnoidea. This is a rhizomatous perennial, making dense mats. The leaves are long-oval in outline and up to 4" long. Their notable feature is a dense covering of white “wool”. Slender flowering stems rise from the mats in summer and fall with clusters of deep reddish violet flowers. The plants need nearly rock garden conditions to thrive–certainly well drained soil, at the least. They thrive in sun near the coast, probably light shade inland. Hardy, I would guess, to around 20oF.
integrifolia. A shrubby species, growing 2' or more tall, with dense, rough-textured foliage. Many 1/2" blossoms are clustered at each shoot tip, opening in succession over many weeks. It blooms most of the year if spent flower clusters are sheared off from time to time. Current selections include ‘Golden Nugget’, with bright yellow blossoms, and ‘Kentish Hero’, burnt orange with yellow markings. Reasonably well drained soils, moderate watering. Hardy to 18oF or less.
‘John Innes’. Quite distinct in habit from the last, this selection has clustered crowns of 3-4" tapered leaves lying nearly flat on the ground. Many large, nodding yellow blossoms, spotted with red, are borne above the foliage on individual stems during the summer months. An unusual and pretty plant for the rock garden. It requires particularly good drainage, acid soil, and regular watering. Hardy to 0oF or below.