Out of Africa: Caring for African Violets (Saintpaulia)

African violets (AV) are sweet bouquets in a pot. Warning: these plants are addictive, as proved by the many societies world wide dedicated to growing, hybridizing and sharing their beauty.

Their pretty colours range from deep blue to pastel pink, with many shades and dualities in-between. They also give continuous blooms throughout the year. 

From their humble origins in Tanzania, East Africa, African violets have become one of the most beloved indoor plants world wide. Out of their natural environment they can live happily indoors in North America. Here is brief overview as to the depth, and varieties of these beauties.

Varieties of African Violets

Things get very interesting here because in 2015, biological findings resulted in a new improved classification of the Saintapaulia species. Check this out for yourself here. 

The quick version:

• Scientific name: Saintpaulia
• Family: Gesneriaceae
• Genus: Streptocarpus
• Kingdom: Plant

If you are an AV novice, you won’t have to worry too much about the classifications.  When you look for more rarified, hybridized plants, the knowledge will come in handy.

Miniature African Violets

These AVs are fully grown plants whose diameter is never more than 6 inches.  To maintain their proportionate size, they are grown in 2 1/4 inch pots.

How to care for your African Violet

One of the reasons for the popularity of African Violets is their reasonable maintenance requirements. You get a great return on investment as they can last for years.

Water

Let’s start here because this is one of the most common problems -over watering.  It does look like a bouquet in a pot, but should not be watered like one. The plant should be watered at the base of the plant, and let the soil dry in between watering, which could be around once per week.

Take this opportunity to rotate the pot. They are susceptible to rot if the water stays on the leaf stem. It is good practice to water the soil only, until you are advanced enough in AV care to soak thoroughly under a tap, let the pot drain, and wipe excess water away from the leaves.

When you first take home your new plant roomie, it is usually in a plastic container. This will hold the water longer than a clay pot. Remember, drainage, drainage, drainage.

Heat and Light

African violets should be placed in an area with a stable temperature. They cannot thrive in direct sun or heat as the leaves are delicate. Bright indirect sunlight is ideal.  Long stems are due to not enough light around the plant.

Propagation

Each leaf has the potential to produce a new plant. It is not hard to do. Recently, a friend accidently pulled a leaf off a healthy plant, and with my encouragement she placed it in small 2 inch pot with potting soil.  The office desk where it was placed faced a bright window.  New shoots peeked out by the end of the month.

Some people prefer to place the stem of a leaf in water until it shows healthy roots, and then place it in soil. When choosing a leaf, make sure to take a new unblemished cutting, as you will have a greater chance of success. 

 

African Violet Chimera Flowers

What are African Violet Chimeras?

African violets have come a long way from there original single colour flower. They are now so colour schemes which are due in part to the mutations and breeding of African Violet chimeras.  Basically, a chimera is a plant which has a combination of different plants cells with differing genetic combinations growing beside each other. 

The main characteristics of AV Chimeras are: Bi- colour, pinwheel stipe flowers, and they can only be propagated from suckers or stalks. Many of the most popular AV Chimeras are from Russian and Ukraine hybrids.

African violets are a popular and growing hobby worth looking into. With one plant can propagate and learn to hybridize to your hearts content.  There is lots of support available via local clubs, some have been listed below.

Resources

African Violet Society of  America

The Gesneriad Society

About African Violets – AVSC.ca – African Violet Society of Canada

African Violet Chimera Flowers – Baby Violets

African Violet: Propagating Chimeras – The Violet Barn

Micropropagation of Chimeral African Violets – aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu

Perfect Violet Hunt – africanviolets.nz