African Violet Saintpaulia

Saintpaulia

African Violet belongs to the Saintpaulia genus. African Violet is also known as Saintpaulia

97 plantings
4 for swap
4 wanted
4 stashed
1 to buy

69% complete! (69%)

The African Violet Plant Wiki

All details in our wiki have been kindly provided by our members.

A fuzzy leafed plant native to Africa bearing flowers purple, pink, white or a combination of those.

African Violets are Day Neutral, meaning that they do not require the onset of either longer or shorter days to prompt the start of flowering, but will flower at any time of the year providing that the right combination of light, nutrients and water are made available. Some verities seem to be in continuous bloom, while other verities will often take a small rest period between flowerings.

African Violet belongs to the Saintpaulia genus.

How to grow and keep African Violet happy

To flower profusely they need in the order of 10 to 12 hours of indirect sunlight or florescent light. Direct sun for any length of time will cause the leaves to burn. In their natural surroundings (South Africa) these plants live in the shade of larger flora.

Many growers prefer to fertilize their African Violets with every watering rather than at manufactures recommendations but will compensate by using a weaker formula. As an example if a fertilizer manufacturer recommends 1 tsp / gallon once every 2 to 3 weeks. Many AV growers will mix the fertilizer at 1/4 tsp per gallon and feed with every watering.

Recomendations:

10 – 12 hours of indirect sunlight per day

Allow the surface to dry out (dry to the touch) before rewatering

fertilize at 1/4 strength with every watering ( 20-20-20 is fine )

More care info can be found here.

USDA Zone Range Which zones does African Violet grow best in? - pH Range The level of acidity for African Violet. 6.1 - 6.5
Water Requirements How much water does African Violet require? Medium Nitrogen Requirements How much nitrogen fertilizer does African Violet need? Medium
Soil The type of soil that African Violet needs. Potting Mix Sun How much sunlight does African Violet need to grow? Dappled Sun
Min. Air Temperature The lowest air temp to grow African Violet in. 16°C / 61°F Max. Air Temperature The highest air temp to grow African Violet in. 27°C / 81°F

How to sow and germinate African Violet

It takes about 4 months after pollination for seeds to be ready to harvest. Most African Violets are propagated from cuttings.⁶

How to transplant African Violet

The African Violet Society of America, Inc. reccomends repotting african violets regularly.²

How to harvest African Violet

N/A

Companion plants for African Violet

These plants will grow well with African Violet:

N/A

Repellent plants for African Violet

These plants will not grow well with African Violet so avoid planting these within close proximity:

N/A

Common African Violet pests

These pests are known to attack African Violet plants:

Soil mealy bugs. Spider Mites. Cyclamen Mites. Mealy bugs. Thrips.³ ⁴

Common African Violet diseases & problems

These problems and diseases are known to effect African Violet plants:

Over or under watering are common problems with African violets. Water droplets on leaves can also cause damage to leaves.³ Can also get Powdery Mildew.

How long does African Violet take to grow?

These estimates for how long African Violet takes to sprout, grow and harvest are from real observations from real gardeners, right around the world. Start logging and journaling your observations to participate!

When should I sow or plant African Violet?

These estimates are relative to your last frost date. Enter your frost dates and we'll calculate your sowing and planting dates for you!

African Violet Etymology

Discovered by non-Africans in 1892 by Baron Walter von Saint Paul (where it’s genus name comes from).¹

The common name African Violet was given to the plant because of where it was discovered along with the fact that the bloom looked very much like a violet. However, it has no botanical relationship to the real violet

African Violet Folklore

Several years ago there were 20-30 species in the genus Saintpaulia. Now thanks to DNA studies most of those have been combined and now there are only 9 species under the genus Saintpaulia. Cultivated African Violets may be hybridized from just one species (most likely S. ionantha) or may have other species and subspecies in their family tree.⁵