That is unless it is mushy or discolored from getting too much water. They reliably bloom several times a year when cared for properly. If you can squeeze moisture between your fingers, then don’t water. African Violet is one of the most beautiful houseplants that you can keep in your home. The members of Saintpaulia are small perennial herbs with thick, hairy, ovate leaves. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/plant/Gesneriaceae. Gloxinias are now bred to quickly produce a large number of blooms with brightly coloured trumpet-shaped flowers in rich crimson, deep red, violet and white to various colour combinations. They need to receive more than 12 hours light daily to initiate new flower buds, although existing buds will open with less. I’ve grown Gloixinias from tubers, which I have planted individually into a 10-15 cm pot, making sure that the upper surface of each tuber is level with the surface of the compost. 99 FREE Delivery Plants look best and flower best when grown in relatively small pots and 10cm-size pots are normally the maximum needed, even for very large plants. It was at the same time that the gardens constructed new ‘back-up’ greenhouses, which gave space for propagation, quarantine of new arrivals collected in the field and research by botanists into the evolution and plant classification of the different plant families. Always try to avoid wetting the ‘hairy’ leaves as they will become spotted and stained and may even rot if temperatures are cool. As with all houseplants it’s a good idea to remove them from the windowsill at night when the curtains are drawn otherwise they may catch a chill causing the leaves to sulk. This plant is a newish addition to our homes, only appearing in large numbers starting in America in the 1930's but has been loved ever since. I’ve also been successful with mini-Sinningias, S. pusilla, which, because they need very high humidity, I’ve grown in a terrarium. Take great care when transporting them home too, for the fleshy leaves are delicate and can easily rip. It belongs to the family Gesneriaceae. This plant forms a shrubby, spreading mound to six inches high and two feet wide and performs well in a hanging basket. When I was a student at the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh (RBGE) during the late 70s, one of my responsibilities was to look after the Gesneriad collection, which are plants belonging to the African Violet or Saintpaulia family. Wild species can have violet, purple, pale blue, or white flowers. African violets are from the plant family Gesneriaceae while the true violets (Viola) are from Violaceae. The flowers are 2–3 cm in diameter, with a five-lobed velvety corolla ("petals"), and grow in clusters of 3–10 or more on slender stalks called peduncles. As good light is essential for African Violets to flower, they can be induced to bloom at any time under artificial light. Among these are the African violets (Saintpaulia) and gloxinias (Sinningia speciosa). ‘Lovestruck’ has single lavender flowers with a violet ruffled edge The leaves are saucer-shaped and velvety, borne in short stems (3-4 inches). Re-pot in spring but only when necessary, which is probably every other year. The fleshy leaves of African Violets or Saintpaulia are slightly heart-shaped, hairy and attached to 5-10cm stalks that sprout from soil level, forming a neat rosette. If it has to reach for it, then it isn’t getting enough! Their feeding causes leaves to pale and pucker. If you find white woolly-coated pests, these are mealy bugs, which are sap-sucking pests. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you haven’t the space to display a large collection of African violets on shelves with daylight tubes fitted overhead, you could create a stylish display beneath a table lamp. Watering is always best done from the bottom using tepid rainwater. However, having parked and walked up to the building, still following signs, we discovered it was closed-down and in a state of some dereliction. This is a lovely variation that has a bright pinkish, purple petal that is edged with what looks like white lace. Stressed plants have droopy leaves, which can be caused by dry soil, cold temperatures and overwatering. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). To resolve this problem, it is often enough to let the soil dry out and then water less frequently. Trailing African violet (AV) varieties originate from a different species than the single rosette forms we're more familiar with. About the African Violet The Saintpaulia houseplant is more commonly known as the African Violet because it originates from Africa and the flowers look like violets (although they're unrelated). Harlequin Blue was named RHS Chelsea Plant of the Year in 2010 and RHS Chelsea plant of the decade in May 2013. With steady warmth and high humidity, careful watering, good light and regular feeding it’s possible to have plants in flower two or three times a year. I’ve also grown them from seed in a heated propagator, however in this case, I would probably have been better off buying tubers as they took a long time to get going. Use a timer to manage the light levels and take note of how the plant responds in case you need to adjust the height of the lights. Tony Clement’s approach and take a couple of healthy leaves with 2.5cm of stalk attached and dip the cut ends in hormone rooting powder then place them either back to back so that they support each other above the soil, or simply insert them singly into cell trays, pushing them to a depth of about 13mm into a pot of well draining compost. I also like to put a layer of perlite in the bottom of the pot to allow the excess water a place to collect. The wooded ravines and valleys of Africa and Madagascar are home to Cape primroses. Alternatively, you can wait until plants are overcrowded and divide the clumps into individual rosettes and with trailing plants take small rosettes from the ends of the stems. Nitrogen-rich fertilisers that are used for feeding foliage houseplants will encourage lush leaves at the expense of flowers. The first commercial yellow Streptocarpus ever seen at Chelsea, which they names Alissa after Lynne Dibley’s niece and in 2015 excited visitors to the Show with the lovely white and purple veined flowers of the variety Polka-Dot Purple. You’ll know some of them are the popular houseplants, African Violets, Cape Primroses or Streptocarpus and Gloxinia plus maybe the Flame Violet (Episcia), Goldfish plants (Columnea and Nematanthus), Hot Water plant (Achimenes), and Lipstick plant (Aeschynanthes), which are availble from specialist growers. Happy, healthy houseplants are less vulnerable to pests and diseases but it’s always worth keeping your eyes peeled for symptoms, as they’re easy to ‘import’ when you buy new varieties to add to your collection. Native to higher elevations in tropical eastern Africa, African violets are widely grown horticulturally, especially S. ionantha. They tend to congregate in the crotches of the crown of African Violets. I used to propagate African Violets and was interested to see this specialist garden center; also we were desperate for a coffee and noticed it advertised a cafe. See more ideas about african violets, african, saintpaulia. Gesneriaceae, one of 23 families in the flowering plant order Lamiales, consisting of 147 genera and about 3,200 species of mostly tropical and subtropical herbaceous or slightly woody plants. Worldwide, there are 16 genera and 850 species. Plants require just enough water to keep the soil moist and the leaves will develop brown spots if they get too wet and if they are allowed to dry out, they go dormant! They are small and compact which makes them perfect as potted houseplants. Touch the compost – if it feels dry in the top few centimetres then it’s time to water. This method of propagation is very rare among flowers and is one of the more unique aspects of growing this particular flower. The violet symbolizes loyalty, devotion, and faithfulness. Native to Eastern Africa, these popular houseplants are in the same family (Gesneriaceae) as gloxinia and primrose. Plants require very little feeding – a half strength dose of a high potash liquid fertilizer once a month during the growing season is plenty. During the growing and flowering season give the plants a high potash liquid feed, such as Phostrogen or Chempak African Violet Fertiliser, every two weeks. Some experts recommend surrounding them with moist peat but I think that this can lead to a problem with fungus gnats. Fungus gnats or Springtails will sometimes appear in the soil and also annoyingly fluttering around the plant if it is kept too damp or contains too much organic matter. African violets originally come from Tanzania, in East Africa. Get to know your houseplants – observe and feel them regularly…even talk to them! 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