African Violets

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THE expression “big things come in small packages” has perhaps never been so befitting than in the case of the African violet.

Though petite in size, the low-growing shrub bears clusters of sweet little flowers that rise beautifully from the middle of its leafy rosette. It’s not at all surprising that the plant has been a popular houseplant for decades.

The African violet (Saintpaulia ionantha) was first discovered in East Africa in 1892 by Baron Walter von Saint Paul. The genus name, Saintpaulia, was named after the Baron and the species name, ionantha, is in reference to the flower — in Greek it means “resembling a violet”.

The first plants, introduced in 1894 in the United States, had blue flowers and were hard to grow in the draughty homes during that time. Years later, with more varieties available  and the introduction of the fluorescent bulb in 1938, African violets grew well under such lights and produced flowers regularly.

Today, there are even more varieties in terms of flower-types and colours, foliage-types and plant sizes. They are mainly hybrids crossed between Saintpaulia ionantha and Saintpaulia confusa.

The flowers are the main attraction. They can be single, semi-double, double, star, ruffled, bi-coloured, multi-coloured or picotee and come in hues of violet, red, pink, mauve, blue or white. The leaves are either green, green with wavy edges, variegated, red reverse, oak leaved, fringed, quilted or trailing types, and can be velvety or smooth.

African violets are categorised by size — ranging from miniature (15cm or less in diameter), semi-miniature (15cm to 20cm), standard (20 to 40cm) to large (over 40cm). The miniatures are commonly marketed here.

It’s important to provide the right growing conditions for the African violet. It makes a great potted plant for indoor, shaded garden, terrarium, window sill and small garden.

African violet enjoys shady spots with a good amount of bright, filtered light. Even when placed in the shade, the afternoon sun may be too hot. A shaded garden or window sill that faces either the North or East is the best.

Direct sunlight will burn the leaves and make the plant dry out fast. It requires 10-12 hours of bright but indirect light to flourish.

Bright air-conditioned rooms are ideal for African violet as it grows best at 24-29°C. If the temperature is over 27°C, the plant grows slower or may even be stunted.

African violet does not like wet feet as it breathes through its fibrous roots. Mix equal parts of sterilised potting soil, perlite or vermiculite and peat moss for a well draining and aerated soil mix.

Water only when the top soil feels dry to the touch. Water thoroughly using a watering can with a long spout to avoid wetting the leaves. An alternative way to water is by using a wick.

Watering on the leaves for too long will cause dark or ring spot condition. The plant is also susceptible to crown and root rot disease if over-watered.

Use liquid fertiliser formulated specially for African violet. Feed according to manufacturer’s instruction.

When purchasing, select a good and healthy plant with strong thick green leaves and bright flowers that are distinctively coloured. If there are no flowers, inspect the crown to see if there are buds developing.

There is no need to re-pot immediately as the African violet likes to be root bound. The width of the pot should be one third the diameter of the plant.

Re-pot and refresh soil yearly or when the plant has overgrown, to the next bigger size pot. Replacing old soil with new helps to get rid of accumulated salt from fertilising. Prune root ball to half the size and discard offsets before placing  in a new pot.

Propagate using leaf cuttings, stem cuttings or offsets. Turn the plant occasionally for even growth.

Mealy bug is one of the common insects of African violet. Remove manually with a cotton swab dabbed with alcohol. Isolate the plant to keep bugs from the others.

Good air circulation helps to prevent mildew, mould, fungus and bacterial infection.


(Source:By Stephanie Choo/ http://www.nst.com.my/life-times/live/no-shrinking-violet-1.7750#ixzz1eKoybyEq)