African Violets are delightful houseplants and will brighten up any room with their purple, pink, or white colors.
Pennsylvania State UniversityAfrican violets are small houseplants that produce clusters of white, blue, or purple flowers over fuzzy leaves. Here’s how to care for African violets in your home!
African violets will bloom with lower light, but medium to bright indirect light is best. They can be a bit fussy, so check out more tips on how to make sure your African violets bloom.
For more information on African violets, visit the website for the African Violet Society of America at www.avsa.org.
There are hundreds of varieties and hybrids, from miniature violets to trailing varieties! They differ mainly in the colors of their flowers, which range from white to purple, though some varieties have variegation in their foliage and flowers as well.
African violets are typically classified by size, based on how wide they grow:
| Botanical Name | Saintpaulia spp. |
|---|---|
| Plant Type | Houseplant |
| Sun Exposure | Part Sun |
| Soil Type | Loamy |
| Soil pH | Slightly Acidic to Neutral |
| Bloom Time | Varies |
| Flower Color | Blue, Pink, Purple, Red, White |
| Hardiness Zones | |
| Special Features |
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Reader Comments
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Thank you very much. I really
Thank you very much. I really like your flowers. So beautiful!
Helpful
Hi, I wanted to let you know I found your article about growing African violets very helpful. Thank you, Richard
Blooming
I have two plants that sit right next to each other. They both get watered and fertilized the same but one blooms and the other one wont. Do you have any ideas.
African Violet Not Blooming
Interesting! Are they the same age and size? African violets prefer to be a little bit pot-bound—it can encourage them to bloom. If one of your plants is smaller than the other, perhaps it’s not quite “grown in” enough.
Or, are they different varieties or species? If so, this could explain the difference in care preferences. Try adjusting some aspects of your care for the non-bloomer, such as moving it to a brighter spot, watering less or more, and so on.
african violet plant
My plant has abundant heathy green leaves, no flowers, it has bloomed in the past.
What is wrong with it?
Lighting and Watering
Lack of flowering usually results from a problem with either watering or lighting (or both). First try moving the plant to a brighter location. They prefer bright, indirect light, but may be scorched by direct sunlight, so keep them out of south-facing windows.
If it’s still not blooming, consider fertilizing it with an African violet fertilizer. That may stimulate it to produce flowers!
African violet new plants
I have an AV plant looking strange. Looked under the leaves and found a small single plant..not much of a root just a nub..I barely scraped nub as to take scab off..took plastic wrap and made a small covering several layers... filled wine glass with water, covered top with plastic cover tightly, poked a hole in middle big enough that the nub fits and set plant on it...keep water level up. After a weekish I had a long root, planted it and plant is doing fantastic..I looked just the other day and there were 2 more small plants.. they are on wine glass now..what size pots for the small ones? Won't they grow somewhat? Thank you for reading my story/question!
Moldy soil
I have a healthy looking AV, but it’s soil has white mold growing on it. I keep the soil moist. What should I do about the mold?
Water 2 yr old AV from bottom but drainage water is BROWN.
I have a 2 year old AV (not re-potted) who is NOT happy. New growth around center starts then dies. Water which drains off is BROWN. Keep indoors year round and use a grow light. What is wrong with my plant?
crown rot
It sounds like your plant has crown and root rot; it could be planted too deeply, too wet (a common cause), or have poor drainage, which doesn’t sound like your plant. But too wet does sound right. The plant may be too far gone, but if it’s not–and you’ll know when you tranplant it– repot in sterilzed soil. AVs can be very finicky even though it seems like everybody else has such an easy time with them.
African violets
The leaves on my african violet get almost clear in the stem and then the leaves seem to die and stem gets limp and whole thing drops off. I water from the bottom when soil is dry.Not showing any blooms
Large leaves
My violets, about five and ten years old, bloom fully and beautifully but the leaves have become very long and large. Should I repot? Are large leaves normal?
I’m having trouble with my
I’m having trouble with my violets having two plants come up side by side. Why is that and how can I just have one
African Violet question
My plant has grown nicely & has a large clump of flowers, but there is hardly any roots. The plant top is heavy and leans. What should I do to get the roots to grow deeper?
Deep Roots
Encourage the roots to grow deeper by water from the bottom of the pot rather than the top. Set the pot in the a saucer (if it isn’t already) and put water in the saucer; the soil will soak it up. Remember to dump out any excess water from the saucer after the soil is sufficiently moist.
African Violets
How often do you water African Violets?
Watering African Violets
There is no set schedule to watering—it all depends on factors like how warm and dry your home is, the time of year, how large your violet and its pot are, and the quality of the potting soil. Generally, the goal should be to keep soil moist—not wet—so this could mean that you need to water once a week or only once every few weeks. Over time, you’ll learn what’s best for your plants and can develop a schedule!
African violets
My African violet bloom looks exactly like a rose, would any of you be able to explain to me?
Double Flower
African violets come in range of varieties, including those with “double” flowers, which resemble roses!
how to correct growth?
Hi, my violets were in a low light window for several months because of moving, home renovation etc, and now are leggy and leaves stretching out and upwards. They are now in a much better window- how would you reccomend correcting the growth if its possible? just wait until there is enough new growth and eventually snip off the older leaves? or is there anything quicker? thanks! Jane T
african violet propogation
my african violet has flowered, and one of the flowers has produced a small green tear drop shaped bulb-like growth in the middle of the flower. is this something i can use to grow more african violets?
Old Plant
I have had my grandmother African violet for at least 30 years. I have not idea how long she has had it. Tried to split one time and last one of the two splits. It is growing out of the pot now and working toward the top. The route is thick and crooked. What do I do with it. I am attached to this plant.
Rooting an African violet leaf
I pulled some unhealthy-looking leaves from my African violet plant and placed the stems in water, not touching the leaves, with the hope they may root. And indeed they did! There are now roots and tiny leaves appearing in the water.
QUESTION: When/how do I transplant these new shoots into soil?
African violet
When I repotted my violet, I must have planted it too deep because now the leaves are lying on the dirt. It is very hard to water because there’s only one small opening where I can get water in without touching the leaves. The plant is blooming beautifully so I’m afraid to touch it. Wondering if I should cut off lower leaves to expose base of plant. I use African violet plant food every couple of weeks or when I think it looks like it needs a boost. Lighting is perfect - East window. I rotate the plant every couple of days so all sides get the sun. Still the newest center leaves point straight up. Should I trim lower leaves?
African Violet Leaves
If the leaves still look deep green and healthy, there’s no reason to trim them off! As long as the leaves are allowed to air-dry and aren’t kepy continuously moist, there shouldn’t be an issue with getting a bit of water on them. If the leaves start to “melt” or discolor, then you can consider pruning the plant.
Questions
I just received two African violets and I have several questions:
-does the pot need to have a hole on the bottom?
-the violets were during winter so the flowers are a bit brown and droopy, how does one give them a boost ?
-I have a self watering bulb, would you recommend using it or not?
Thank you
Questions about African Violets
1. Yes, the pot should have a drainage hole in the bottom to allow excess water to drain away, helping to prevent root rot.
2. If the flowers themselves are brown and droopy, the flowers have already started to die, which is entirely natural. Snip off the dead flowers and care for the plants according to the advice above; they should eventually bloom again.
3. During winter, houseplants should generally be watered less often, so it’s advised to allow them to dry out a bit between waterings. Come spring, when the plants will be in active growth, a self-watering bulb could be useful for keeping the soil moist. African violets are quite susceptible to rot, however, so if your home is particularly humid, you may not want to use the bulb.
production of African Violets
I would like to know how many African Violets are produced every year or how many sale in the market in USA.
African Violets
We would suggest that you contact Holtkamp Greenhouses Inc., the largest producer of African violets in the world. They are a private company based our of Nashville. Suffice it say, it’s a multi-million dollar business.
Pots for African Violets
Is there a certain pot that African likes best.. Glass, plastic, clay, ceramic?
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