Pocketbook Plant
Sources last read 13 September 2026.
Not yet rated How forgiving it is has not been judged here yet.
Also called Poor Man's Orchid, Pouch Flower, Scalloped-flower, Slipper Flower and Slipperwort.
Toxicity is partly unassessed
- Not assessed for cats. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Not assessed for dogs. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Not assessed for people. RHS publishes no harm statement for this plant. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
What the sources say about its care
- Light
- Full sun, Partial shadeRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Water
- Moist but well-drained or Well-drainedRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Humidity
No source read publishes a humidity figure for any plant on this site. What follows is general guidance for foliage plants.
ASHRAE recommends indoor relative humidity between 30% and 60% 30–60%Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026- Temperature
How cold this tolerates, not what it prefers. No source read for this site publishes a preferred range for a plant indoors.
H1C — 5–10°C 5–10 °CRHS · read 13 September 2026- Soil
- Clay, Loam, Sand; pH Acid or NeutralRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to cats
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to dogs
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Harmful to people
- No statement of harm to people is published for this plant; that absence is not evidence it is safe.RHS · read 13 September 2026
Routine care
- Watering
- Soil that is too wet, or irregular watering, can lead to root and crown rot.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Water generously and feed every 2 weeks with a balanced liquid fertiliser.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Feeding
- Water generously, feeding every 2 weeks with a balanced liquid fertiliser.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Propagation
- In mid to late summer, propagate from seeds or stem cuttings.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026In early spring sow seed under glass.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pruning
- Deadhead to extend flowering.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pests and diseases
- Aphids, snails and slugs can attack it. Disease risk: grey moulds.RHS · read 13 September 2026
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About the plant
Calceolaria crenatiflora is a species of flowering plant in the pocketbook plant genus Calceolaria, family Calceolariaceae. It is native to central and southern Chile and southern Argentina. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit as a warm temperate greenhouse ornamental. Along with Calceolaria corymbosa and Calceolaria cana it has contributed to the Calceolaria Herbeohybrida Group of cultivars.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · read 13 September 2026
- Native range
- C. & S. Chile to S. ArgentinaWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026Central and Southern Chile and Southern ArgentinaNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026ChileRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Climate
- temperateWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- Growth form
- biennial or perennialWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026Annual, Perennial; habit dense, moundingNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Bushy (deciduous)RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Size
- Height 4–20 in; width 4–20 inNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Height 0.1-0.5 metres; spread 0.1-0.5 metres after 1–2 yearsRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Flowering
- Flowers brown/copper, gold/yellow, orange, pink, red/burgundy; blooms in fall, spring, summerNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Flowers yellow in summer and autumn; orange in summer and autumn; brown in summer and autumnRHS · read 13 September 2026
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Sources
- ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Wikipedia · read 13 September 2026
What this does not cover
The figures above are what published sources say, not measurements of the plant in your room. They say nothing about your pot size, your water, the season, or how far from the glass the plant stands, and those decide more than any figure here does.
Humidity has no species figure because no source read for this site publishes one, and the only temperature published for this plant is a cold floor. The simulator fills those gaps with general figures for its kind of plant, marked as general and listed on how we read sources. Where a toxicity row says the plant was not assessed, that is the absence of a finding and not a finding of safety.
If something is already wrong, the diagnosis tool asks about the soil, the window and the watering, which is where the answer usually is.