Backyard Gardening

By C. Anne Gibson
African violets (Saintpaulia spp.) are a favorite blooming houseplant for many gardeners. They are not truly violets, but are members of the Gesneriad family, which also includes gloxinias (Sinningia speciosa). African violets are, however, native to the mountainous tropical rainforests of Africa. About 20 species have evolved as understory plants, thriving in the shade beneath the tree canopy. According to the University of Vermont Extension (UVE), the genus name honors German Baron von Saint Paul-Illaire, who collected some of the first African violets (S. ionantha) in 1892. At the time, the Baron was the governor of Tanganyika, which is now part of Tanzania. Through his father, the Baron provided the first African violet plants to the German Royal Botanical Garden. The plants proved difficult to grow indoors, which limited their appeal as houseplants.

Around 1925, Armacost and Royston, a Los Angeles nursery, saw the potential of the plant and started developing new cultivated varieties (cultivars) and hybrids (https://pss.uvm.edu/ppp/articles/african.html). It wasn’t long before they released their first creation, named ‘Blue Boy.’ It was quite different from the original S. ionantha. This new variety was easy to grow in average home conditions, and had a longer flowering period. According to the Missouri Botanical Garden (MBG), “most often the parent plants of African violet hybrids are S. ionantha and S. confusa. (https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/Portals/0/Gardening/Gardening%20Help/Factsheets/African%20Violets2.pdf).”

Many gardeners describe the African violet as the “Goldilocks of House Plants.” In the well-known fairy tale, Goldilocks wandered through the home of the three bears, searching for what she felt was “just right.” You can read all the articles about how to grow African violets, and they will be very helpful. However, you still have to provide the “just right” conditions for African violets in your own home. This includes the optimum light exposure, watering and humidity requirements, fertilizer, and soil type.

According to Clemson University Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), African violets prefer bright, but indirect sunlight (https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/african-violet). Do not place the plant too close to the window. The foliage might get scorched during hot summer weather, or get a cold draft in the winter. If necessary, a sheer curtain or partially opened blind can reduce the amount of light. Some experts recommend a north or northwest window, but that has never worked for me. Inadequate light will decrease flowering.

Watering African violets can be a little tricky. They have very delicate roots that rot quickly with too much water; however, the plant requires high humidity. Self-watering pots may help. They allow excess water to drain into a reservoir, while maintaining soil moisture. Contrary to popular belief, it is safe to water African violets from the top, but use tepid water. Avoid wetting the leaves or stems, especially with cold water, which can cause spotting.

According to Penn State Extension (PSE), another option is to set the plants on a tray filled with clean pebbles and water (https://extension.psu.edu/african-violet-care). Never leave these plants in standing water. They hate wet feet!

The goal for growing African violets is profuse, prolonged blooming. Being somewhat “pot bound” encourages flowering, as does proper feeding (MBG). Feed African violets once a week. If you use special African violet plant food, just follow the directions. You can use generic house plant food, but dilute it. Only use an eighth to a quarter teaspoon of fertilizer per gallon of water. Keep in mind that too much fertilizer can also hurt your plant!
Once you establish where your African violet is happiest, you may want to buy another one, or two, or more.

There are so many cultivars of African violets to choose from. African violets range in size from micro-miniature varieties, which are less than three inches across, through the standard size (8-16 inches), to larger varieties, which are more than 16 inches wide (MBG). African violets can have trailing or upright growth habits. Some plants have striped, or variegated leaves. The flowers of African violets can be white, pink, lavender, dark blue, or even bicolored. They can have single, double, or even semi-double blooms, with or without frilled edges. It is best to quarantine new plants for a few weeks. This is to ensure that the new plants don’t transmit any diseases or insects to established plants. African violets are subject to many infestations. Most problems “can be avoided by following recommended cultural practices (HGIC).” If you have done everything “just right,” and your African violets are still not thriving, you may have a pest or disease problem. For more information on African violet pests and pest control, refer to the HGIC and PSE websites mentioned previously.

Propagating new plants from established plants is relatively easy. Cut a healthy leaf, and all of its stem, from the “parent” plant. If a part of the stem is left, it can rot, damaging the original plant. Keep about an inch of stem attached to the cut leaf. It helps to dip the stem into rooting hormone powder, which can be purchased at many garden centers or online. Insert the stem into a small container of sterile, moist rooting medium – vermiculite, sphagnum moss, perlite, sand or a mixture of any of these (MBG). Enclose everything in a zip lock bag, to maintain humidity. The bag should be large enough that it doesn’t touch the leaf. Place in a partly sunny – but not hot – area. After four to six weeks, multiple baby plants should be found growing around the base of the parent leaf.

When the plantlets have four or more leaves, and are about two inches tall, they can be transplanted into sanitized pots with sterile potting soil, and moved to that perfect, indirectly sunny location to mature. This is the method I use, but there are many variations. The delicate roots of African violet plants need fine, loose, well-draining soil. Ready-made African violet mixes are more porous and slightly more acidic than regular house-plant potting soil (MBG). The depth of the pot is not as important as the width. The roots need to reach out horizontally to find the sides of the pot. When potted, stems and leaves should have minimal contact with the soil and the pot. As the plants age, they may develop a large, leafless area at the base of the stalk. These plants should be repotted to a depth where the lowest leaf on the stalk is just above the top of the soil.

Over the years I have purchased – and killed – a lot of African violets, but I think I finally found those “just right” conditions for my “Goldilocks” plants. During the propagation portion of my Master Gardener training, the one leaf I started with yielded eight new plants! I gave most of these plants away. The two plants I kept are almost two years old and have been blooming for the last nine months. Keep searching for that “just right” light, humidity, water, soil, pot, and fertilizer. When you find them, enjoy those beautiful flowers.

C. Anne Gibson has been a certified Penn State Master Gardener since 2020. She can be reached at clintonmg@psu.edu or through the Clinton County Master Gardener Hotline at (570) 858-0198.