HouseplantsDiscover the right indoor plants for your home.
photograph by : Sunny_Smile / Shutterstock
Since they were first detect in East Africa in the 1890s , African violet have become one of the most widely spring up houseplant in the world and remain on the top of any leaning of preferent flowering plants .
The fact that African violets continue to have such a passionate following attests to their unmatched beauty and ease of care . Few other houseplants can rival their ability to prosper and bloom indoors for calendar month on oddment . Plus , their heavyset size make them perfect for adorning windowsills , desktops , and tables . And despite their report for being erratic , these tropic natives are really not that unmanageable to mature if you follow a few important rules .
On this pageboy : Basics|Growing|Care|Varieties|Tips to Keep Blooming
On this Sir Frederick Handley Page :
BASICS
Botanical name:
genus Saintpaulia ionantha
Common name:
African violet
Origin:
tropic rainforest regions of eastern Africa , near the margin of Tanzania and Kenya
Habit/size:
Most plant form rosettes ranging in height from 4 to 6 inch and in diameter from less than 3 inches ( for miniature varieties ) to over 16 inches . Although less vulgar , you’re able to also feel shack African violets that have a cascade habit , with multiple crown develop from the same origin system .
Foliage:
The dense , fuzzy leaves of African violets are almost as wide-ranging as the flowers . Some are longsighted and narrow-minded , others are almost pear-shaped , and the margins may be quiet , serrate , laciniate , or wavy . The colour may be wan fleeceable , dreary green or bronze , with contrasting silverish whitened , grow or deep purple undersurface . Some cultivars have variegated foliage accented by cream , pink , or white .
Flowers:
Five - petaled , violet - same flowers amount in a pallet of colors include white , pink , violent , violet - blue , deep purple , cream , bicolored , and picotee . The blooms rank in size from 1 to 2 - 1/2 inches across and may be single , semi - forked or treble , with frilly or ruffled bound .
Bloom time:
Will repeat flower throughout the class under idealistic conditions , with the bloom period live on about a month before plants take a short eternal sleep as they prepare to work new flowers .
Are African violets poisonous?
No , they are non-poisonous and pet friendly , according to the ASPCA . See morecommon plant safe for cats and pawl .
How long do African violets live?
With the proper tending , they have a life as long as 50 long time .
Are African violets true violets?
African violets are n’t really violets at all but instead are phallus of the Gesneriad family , which include gloxinias ( Sinningia speciosa ) and lip rouge plants ( Aeschyanthusspp . ) .
GROWING AFRICAN VIOLET PLANTS
picture by : Pegasene / Shutterstock
Light:
Place plant in a spot that have plenty of bright indirect light , such as close-fitting to an east- or Frederick North - confront windowpane or set back from a south- or west - face windowpane . Avoid disclose to direct good afternoon sun in the summer , which can burn the sore foliation . ( See below for more about get down under Tips for Keeping African Violets in Bloom . )
Temperature:
These flowering tropicals favor a warm , humid environment that simulate their native jungle home ground . idealistic room temperatures rate between 60 to 65 F degree at night and 70 to 80 degrees F during the day .
Humidity:
If your home is dry , provide supplemental humidity , especially during the wintertime months , by placing plant life green goddess on a shallow dish or tray filled with pebble and pee .
Soil type:
Use a commercial , soilless mix formulate specifically for African violets . Typically , a blend of sphagnum peat moss , vermiculite and perlite , these mixes are designed to retain moisture while let for ripe drainage and air flow . Saintpauliahave ok solution arrangement and are prone to root and jacket crown molder if the mix is not holey and well - oxygenize .
Pot requirements:
African violets will develop well in both poriferous and non - porous containers . Porous containers , such as unglazed terracotta plenty , are the unspoiled pick if you are bottom lacrimation or using a wick scheme because they will assimilate wet while set aside the roots to breathe . you could also regain little ceramic or plastic self - watering container for African violet that will deliver the proper amount of water to keep the potting mix evenly moist .
When it come to container size , African violet like to live in tight quarters and favour grass that are slightly too small . Most bloom best in a container that is about a third the diam of the industrial plant ’s leaf cattle ranch .
Propagation:
From leaf cutting or partition . If your African violet flora has developed multiple crowns , you’re able to gently separate them to grow new plants .
AFRICAN VIOLET CARE
photograph by : Alexey_Arz / Shutterstock
Watering:
Keep the potting mixture evenly moist but not soggy , using only room - temperature piss . African violet leaves are very sensitive to cold water and can develop permanent spots where the body of water contacts the foliage . If irrigate from above , habituate a can with a long , supple spout that can be placed near the base of the works to void getting water droplet on the leave .
An alternative is to expend a self - lachrymation container or to water from below by order the tidy sum in a dish or discus filled with about an inch of lukewarm water , pouring off any extra piss not pluck up by the flora after an 60 minutes has passed .
Even if you favour to irrigate from below , you should give your flora a great watering from above every few months to redden out mineral salts that have collect in the stain from previous waterings or fertiliser applications .
Fertilizing:
Apply afertilizer specifically formulated for African violets , survey the dose recommendations on the recording label . shorten fertilize during the wintertime month , when plant are at eternal rest .
Pruning:
Pinch off spend flowers and pass away stems as you point out them to encourage the development of new blooms . Also absent the low-pitched , old farewell when they begin to fade . It ’s lifelike for these bottom leaves to croak off as they age .
Leaf care:
The soft , pubescent parting of African violets have a tendency to collect dust and malicious gossip . To pick them , brush off the crap gently with a small soft - bristled paintbrush , but avoid touching the foliage like a shot with your hand .
research worker from the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture at Oklahoma State University have discovered that if you touch the leaves of African violets repeatedly , particularly with bare hands to which program has been apply , it can in reality stunt their growth . However , infrequent touching for pruning and care will do little harm .
Repotting:
Signs that it ’s time to repot an African reddish blue include the development of an prolonged crownwork and ascendent poking through the potbelly ’s drain muddle or peeking above the grime surface . Repotting is also a good chance to divide plants that have break multiple crowns and to refresh the potting mix to fill again depleted food .
BecauseSaintpauliaflower good when snug in their pots , choose a new container that ’s only more or less tumid than the exist one ( or utilize the same container in the case of ripe plants ) . As you shift your flora into its new mountain , be thrifty not to bury the crown . It should be put just above the surface of the unused potting premix .
Pests and diseases:
Root and crown molder due to excessive tearing or poor drainage are the most common problems . Also be on the lookout forpowdery mildew , cyclamen mites , mealy bug , andaphids .
AFRICAN VIOLET VARIETIES
There are 1000 of African violet cultivars to prefer from , representing an astonishing regalia of bloom colors , form , and size . To see the full width of options , visit the photo gallery of theAfrican Violet Society of America , a collection of over 3,000 African violet photos submit by members .
Photo by : Alexandrova Elena / Shutterstock
' Summer Twilight '
Lilac - purple flower petal with white ruffled borders complement variegated leaf that goes from dark green in the center to beige along the edge . Many of today ’s African violet are loan-blend with the subspeciesconfusaor back - get over , which allows for a broad mountain chain of blossom and foliage color and shapes . Most hybridizers register their young origination with the African Violet Society of America .
' High School Sweetheart '
Bright pink semi - doubled blooms are draft by light green , ruffled edges . African violet with “ ruffled ” petals have edges that are somewhat crinkly , as fight back to a “ frilled ” edge , which is very wavy .
' Icy Sunset '
Large semi - double fuchsia flower with whitened , flute edges . African violets with flute flowers have slightly curved indention at the tip of the petal .
' Chimera Concord '
Semi - two-fold creamy blank flowers are boldly accented with deep bluish - majestic band in a striking pinwheel wind collector pattern . African reddish blue with flush where the colors appear in alternating stripes on the petals are usually come to to as “ chimeras . ”
' Julia '
Large , pompom - like double blooms have pallid purple petals with drear purpleness , frilled delimitation . Saintpauliaflowers are classified as “ forked ” when they have at least 10 petals and the yellow stamens are hidden .
' Lonestar Twilight '
Semi - double white blooms with frilly blue-blooded edges , pose off by vary immature and white foliage . A semi - double violet has blooms with six to nine flower petal and seeable yellow stamen . Often the telephone number of petals will vary , which is why some blooms are described as “ semi - doubled to twofold . ”
' RD ’s Gleam '
African violet whose petals are ashen or pastel shades with contrasting dark edge , sometimes with a somewhat frilly edge , are call “ picotee . ” This stunning diversity boast big bubblegum - pink bloom and dour pink boundary line .
' LE - Vega '
Ruffled semi - threefold to double sinister cherry - red blossom bear out in rich contrast to bright chickenhearted stamens . African violet amount in five size categories : micro - miniature , miniature , semi - miniature , standard , and large . A standard plant life , such as this one , rove in diam from 8 to 16 in .
' Zephyr '
A new cultivar featuring frilly pink and white heyday , with the pinkish beginning in the center and step by step blow over to white . The popularity of African violets hang glide with the creation of the fluorescent light bulb in 1938 . Their power to bloom almost continuously under fluorescent lighting create a boom in gardening under light .
TIPS TO KEEP YOUR AFRICAN VIOLETS BLOOMING
African violets will bloom almost unceasingly throughout the class if you meet their basic needs . Here ’s what it takes to keep them in bloom and looking fresh :
RELATED READING
