Calceolaria is a delightful annual flower that adds loads of drama to your early-spring deck, patio, balcony, or other outdoor living space. These cool-weather-loving plants show off unique flowers, reminiscent of orchids, on tidy mounding plants. The delightful flowers are held on stems above the dark green, arrow-shaped leaves, making calceolaria a show stopper. 

Because calceolaria is a small plant, it's ideal for decorating tabletops on decks, patios, and balconies in early spring -- before other common flowers are available. It grows well with pansies, violas, sweet alyssum, and dianthus, so you can grow it on its own or put together stunning springtime container gardens. 

Grow calceolaria in full sun (at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sun) or part shade outdoors (morning shade and afternoon sun) for best blooms. Because it loves cool weather, you can move it to increasingly shaded spots as temperatures rise to help keep your plant happy longest.

Water calceolaria when the top inch or so of the potting mix dries to the touch. It will wilt dramatically when it gets too dry, but the plant typically recovers quickly when you add water. Take care not to water it too much, however; if the potting mix stays consistently wet, it can suffer from rot. 

Pruning calceolaria isn't necessary, but you can remove old flower stems as the blooms fade to keep the plant looking its best and encourage rebloom more quickly. 

While this plant likes cool weather, it can't tolerate frosty temperatures -- so if temperatures drop below freezing, move it indoors temporarily until temperatures rebound. 

Calceolaria doesn't require a lot of fertilizer, but you can use any general-purpose garden fertilizer on it. Follow the directions on the product packaging to know how much fertilizer to use and how often to use it. 

Calceolaria is not intended for human or animal consumption.