African Violet

The African violet is North America’s favorite houseplant. African violet is the common name for the plant known as Saintpaulia. It was discovered by Baron Walter von Saint Paul, who came across the plant in Africa,(Tanzania) and sent some seeds home to his father, who was an amateur botanist. More than 20 wild species have been found to date. African violet fans- they adore this beautiful plant.

A perennial, herbaceous flowering plant more commonly kept as a houseplant, the African violet comes in a variety of shades of violet, but it can grow white in the wild. It has fleshy leaves with a fine, hair-like fur on them. The flowers themselves have five petals and are velvety to the touch. It was given its common name because of its resemblance to a traditional violet. They are easy to grow.

 -Habitat
African violets are native to Tanzania and Kenya,(Africa) favoring a tropical climate. Essentially, it thrives in typical rain-forest conditions – hot and moist, yet well-drained and deeply shaded.

 Growing tips

African Violet African violets adjust well to the warm temperatures. They need bright but indirect sun. Direct sunlight is not necessary, they are easy to grow and despite the weather outside, you can have flowers all through the year. It should be kept moist but not waterlogged and prefers a shallow pot to a traditionally deep plant pot.

African violets prefer pasteurized soil-less mix of peat moss, that allows water to pass through easily. Remove all dead or dying foliage and flowers rotate plants every time you water to assure even growth of these elegant flowers. The fine roots of an African violet need air, which cannot penetrate a soggy wet soil mass.

 Propagating African Violets

It is relatively easy to propagate African violets by rooting cuttings.When propagating African violets is that it doesn’t take long before you have a new plant to re-pot. A leaf with an intact petiole, or leaf stem, can develop roots if properly placed in a rooting medium. Roots should appear at the base of the petiole within three to four weeks. When the roots appear, new leaves and plants should start peeking through the ground 3-4 weeks after.

 -Splitting an African Violets African violets often develop multiple crowns, which can be split apart and used to propagate new plants through a process called division. Division propagation creates mature African violet plants faster than other methods. However, they are susceptible to damage and must be handled with care to ensure success. 

 Care & Tips

The best natural water you can use on your houseplants is – Rainwater.

The #1 reason your African Violet’s fail to RE-BLOOM is down to insufficient light.

 If you have a very dry soil and water won’t penetrate the surface?

Your potting mix contains high levels of clay, instead of potting compost OR the soil is completely bone dry. Gently prick just the top surface with a fork to break it up a little, then try watering again!

Too little sunlight causes them to stretch for the light and produce few or no flowers; too much sun can burn the leaves. With proper conditions and care, African violets can flower almost year round. You can help them yourself -Turn on the Lights. (An African violet blooms when it receives 8- to 12 hours of bright light a day. Improve humidity and fertilize your African Violet.

 Water won’t penetrate the surface, a very dry surface soil?  Your potting mix contains high levels of clay, instead of potting compost. OR the soil is completely bone dry. THE SOLUTION- just prick the surface with a fork to break it up a little, then try watering again.

 The leaves on African Violet Curling? The water should be always room temperature.. When the water is too cold, it chills the roots causing leaves to curl down. Also, if watering from the top cold water can cause leaf spotting.

Caution African violets are NOT viola and are NOT considered edible. DO NOT SUBSTITUTE AFRICAN VIOLETS FOR SWEET VIOLETS, many plants are nicknamed “violet” because of their color.

PHOTO CREDIT- PIXABAY.COM