I had this Columnea x banksii or gold fish plant for about a year now. It has bloomed at least 3 times and is blooming now. It seems to be a combination of cultivers since it blooms in 2 different colors. Not sure what I'm doing wrong, but it sure is a sad looking thing. Do you think it needs to be in a larger pot or maybe cut off some of the stems and root them and add them to the pot?

I don't think it's all that sad looking (considering it's blooming even). I think the reason you may see it as sad is because of the lack of "bushiness," which comes from having multiple stems in a pot (the ones I've seen in town are huge; 40-50 "stems" in a pot). I don't know much about 'Goldfish Plants,' but a lot of "viney" plants look bare over time because the old leaves die off from the base of the stem up (which is normal).

I'll leave propagating (cutting stems and filling up the pot with more) to someone else, as I'm not sure how to go about doing that or if you'd experience problems doing so. Some plants don't root as easily as others and making new stems can be difficult in those cases.

EDIT: Oops, I said 40-500 stems... I meant 50, not 500 lol.

Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, and no real plant person sees yours as being ugly. In fact, it looks quite healthy. I love the beautiful blooms. Like Planto said, all it really needs is company for it's naturally bare stems. I would cut off the non blooming stems and try to root them. Since they appear to bloom mostly on the ends (new growth) you will get more blooms from the new branches that form in place of the ones you cut. Also in the future, pinch the tips of your plants for a more bushy look.

Thanks for the advise. I agree that the bushy look is what I invisioned when I ordered this plant. One of the little stems in the pot is one that I cut off and just cut off and stuck in the soil. It seems to have rooted, so I may try it with more.

Good for you.

I think it's perfectly happy too! If/when you decide to change something, here's some thoughts on different things you could consider:

Move it to a hanging basket.

Adding a 2nd, upright little plant might be just the thing. I can think of these that I think would look cute, don't mind lower light:
Joseph's Coat (Alternanthera littoralis)
Red Log (Peperomia verticillata)

This could add cuteness at soil surface, though kind of a dangler also.
Artillery Plant (Pilea microphylla)

A little palm tree, Dracaena, Cordyline.

Ponytail palm could add something very interesting at the soil line, the bulbous trunk, then the poof of dramatic foliage at the top, while still being able to see the Columnea stems well, to appreciate all parts of both plants. Thinking the "poofy" kind, not the curly one, for this particular vision.

thanks for the ideas Tiffany. I think I will root lots of cuttings over the winter and then move to a hanging basket like you suggest. I even have an artillery plant and would not have thought of that, but it sounds like it might work out well. Will post another photo if it ever gets to looking really nice.

Happy to suggest. Good vibes for getting it like-u-like-it!