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African Violets by Kathleen McBride Walk into nearly any gardener’s home and you are almost guaranteed to find an African violet adorning a windowsill or end table. This now common houseplant was virtually unknown to the western world until explorers brought it from east Africa in 1892. The “new” plant was first commercially raised in Germany and eventually sparked interest in the United States in the 1920s—along with other enduring ideas like cocktails and voting rights.
African violet leaves also come in various shapes. A few examples include the lance leaf type, which is long and thin; the spoon type, which is rolled at the edges; the holly type, with crinkled edges; the serrated type, with saw-tooth edges; and the boy type leaf, which is the classic elongated heart. The leaves with white accents include the variegated and girl type. The girl type leaf has white at the base and the variegated leaf type has a white border surrounding its outer edge. Recent crosses with the Saint Paulia Magungensis plant have even produced trailing African violets, with long drooping stems holding smaller plantlets on their tips. Simple maintenance enhances the popularity of the colorful African violet. Ideally, the plant needs moist soil, but not too wet, as root and crown rot can result. When watering, remember two important tips: Try not to get the leaves wet, and don’t shock the plant with cold water straight from the tap. Keep in mind that, in its warm and lush native habitat, the African violet is mainly a ground covering protected from rainfall by the overhead leaves of other plants. The warm African climate also ensures that the water reaching the plant’s roots is essentially the same warm temperature as the surrounding air. The water in the plant’s natural environment is neither chemically softened nor chlorinated, so avoid such TK if at all possible. Some aficionados water their African violets using the wicking process, with an acrylic wick attached to the soil on one end and to a source of water on the other end. The water reaches the plant via capillary action. This method is especially useful for the frequent traveler! Light is important for every plant and the African violet is no exception. However, eight hours of darkness are also necessary to keep your plant blooming. The flowering hormone in the African violet does not activate the blooming process until the plant is in the dark. If the chosen location for your violet does not have enough natural light, the plants can be grown with artificial grow lights, as long as they contain light from both the red and blue spectrums.
If you enjoy your violets you can always create more through leaf cuttings. Find a medium-size healthy leaf and cut it near the base. Apply rooting hormone to the stem or simply allow the stem to sit in water until the new roots appear, and then carefully pot the tender new plant. Additional information about the care of your violet or about the latest new hybrids can be found at the photo-filled African Violet Society Web site www.avsa.org. And, of course, the National Cathedral Greenhouse has several large and small plants to pique your interest! |
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Although the first known hybrid was produced in 1927, it wasn’t until
the 1960s, when experimentation of all kinds was flourishing, that the
now familiar semi-doubles, starflowers, and frilly edged flowers first
appeared. Further hybridization produced additional blossom types, such
as the double bloom and the multicolor blooms, which include the
bicolor, the multicolor, and the Geneva blooms. The bicolor bloom
presents two shades of a base color, while the multicolor bloom sports
two separate colors per flower. The Geneva bloom is a single-color
flower with a white-bordered edge. The color options for blooms fall
into three main categories: pinks, purples, and whites. In the pink
family, the colors range from deep coral to dark red and down through
delicate pale pinks. The purple family includes the traditional violet,
dark to light permutations of purple, and even blue!
To add to African violet options, consider a range of leaf sizes,
shapes, and colors. Leaf size is a common way of categorizing the plant.
The general size options are micro (under 3 inches), mini (3-6 inches),
semi-mini (6-8 inches), standard (8-16 inches), and large (more than 16
inches). Further variation occurs with different possible leaf types,
which include greens from across the spectrum and accents from white to
a deep reddish brown. 
In addition to engaging in routine “deadheading” (removal of spent
blossoms and dead leaves), many African violet owners like to increase
their blooms with occasional extra soil nutrients. Generally, African
violet fertilizer is specifically labeled but it is still a good idea to
double-check the contents. A violet needs fertilizer with equal amounts
of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Look specifically at the source
of the nitrogen and avoid the product if it lists urea as an ingredient.
Urea is a nitrogen source, but it causes root burn for African violets.
So even if the fertilizer is labeled as suitable for African violets,
owners should double-check the contents. While reading the label, also
check for solubility. Just like all vitamins and nutrients, if the
fertilizer is not soluble the violet will not receive its benefits. Look
for 100% water solubility.