Sinningia tubiflora is a Gesneriad and at the beginning of growing it about 20 years ago I made the mistake of growing it in partial shade because I deducted from other Gesneriads which do not like too much sunlight. It did not flower this way and looked like a trailing plant. Then I learnt (I do not remember who gave me the advice) that Sinningia tubiflora needs full sun and much later in my life I was able to visit the habitat of many Gesneriaceae in South America and I realized that very many Gesneriaceae grow in full sun in their habitat, some even in most extreme situations. The most extreme Gesneriad was Sinninga bulbosa which I saw in Brazil growing on black rocks on almost vertical cliffs exposed to full tropical sun near the salt spray line of the beach. The rock was so hot that it could not be touched. The huge tubers (about the size of a child's head) were sitting on top of the rock surface. This is just an example for the fact that not all Gesneriads are shade plants. Sinningia tubiflora (I have not seen its habitat but a very similar looking species associated with cactus) wants to grow like a cactus: VERY full sun and heat, it will grow under glass and as easily in the open garden provided it is bright and warm enough. I also learnt that it needs a lot of water during active growth: last year I attached its large pot to my automatic irrigation system for the first time and the tubers expanded to an extent that made the pot burst. This was the first time it happened. Sinningia tubiflora also needs some fertilizer to perform well. My plant was given to me by an English plantsman and is fairly compact. In mild parts of England it is considered hardy or near hardy. I have tried it for hardiness here in Germany but it did not survive even relatively mild German winters which are always colder than English ones, though. But full German sun is hot and strong enough to produce several flushes of flowers during summer. In autumn I stop watering and cut away the foliage about 5cm above the rim of the pot and store the whole pot dry and cold but frost free in my cellar. The tubers are started at about this time of the year in warmth and fullest sun under glass and moved to the garden after all danger of frost is over. The plant has never suffered from any pest. I noticed that the tubers do not like disturbance, after repotting and undoing the tangle of tubers and rhizomes I had less bloom. On the other hand even spring cuttings (they root easily) have performed very well the first summer. Seed is also produced in large numbers after hand pollination. The long tubed white flowers have a powerful pleasant fragrance that is carried some distance on warm days and nights. After this experience with Sinningia tubiflora and after seeing Gesneriads in the wild I changed my growing techniques for Gesneriads and allow much more light and even some direct sun with spectacular results. Achimenes, Kohleria, most Sinningia and Gesneria flower much better on more compact plants this way. A wonderful website for Gesneriads and many other plants, many geopyhtes, is http://www.brazilplants.com/ by Mauro Peixoto. With best wishes from Germany Uli