Kohleria are herbacious perennial plants in the gesneriad family native to tropical America. Kohleria allenii, native to Costa Rica and Panama, has pale lime to yellow cup-shaped flowers with red tips that are strongly reflexed. Red bristles adorn the outsides of the flowers, which grow in loose spikes at the tops of the branches. The leaves, which grow in pairs, are more narrow than most cultivated kohlerias.

Kohlerias are characterized by soft, ovate scalloped leaves and tubular flowers that are covered with soft fuzz. Related to African violets, the leaves are often suffused with purple or brown. The tubes, which are an inch or two long are inflated and flare out into five spotted lobes. In the right conditions (indoors) kohlerias grow quickly and will need to be pinched back after flowering. They do well in sunlight from a south-facing window or bright artificial lights.