Scientific Name
Saintpaulia goetzeana Engl.
Common Name(s)
African Violet
Scientific Classification
Family: Gesneriaceae
Genus: Saintpaulia
Flower
Color: Violet and white
Bloom Time: Flowers freely
Description
Saintpaulia goetzeana is a small flowering plant used widely in home horticulture. It has up to 16 inches (40 cm) long stems with leaves that are up to 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) long and up to 1.4 inches (3.5 cm) wide. The unique flowers have five petals, where the top 2 are violet and the bottom 3 are white.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zone 12a to 12b: from 50 °F (+10 °C) to 60 °F (15.6 °C).
How to Grow and Care
African Violets will thrive in bright, warm, and humid conditions. Keep water from touching their leaves, or it will leave brown spots. Remove dead flowers and leaves as soon as you see them to encourage a healthier plant. Regularly check the soil and plant to ensure there is no accumulation of dead leaves. This will encourage rot. Growing these houseplants is really a matter of balance; you have to ensure that the different factors that go into their cultivation are all weighted against each other. They should be kept in moist enough conditions that they don't dry out yet still exposed to a fresh breeze to avoid letting them get too stuffy and exposed to sunlight without damaging their leaf tips. Don't be discouraged if your African Violets suffer some damage — it's all part of the process.
African Violets do better when they are slightly underpotted. Therefore, repot only when necessary into a pot that is one size up. To repot these plants, simply grab the plant as a whole, lift it, and replace it into a larger container, making sure not to damage their root systems in the process.
See more at How to Grow and Care for African Violets.
Origin
Native to eastern tropical Africa. There is a concentration of species in the Nguru mountains of Tanzania.
Links
- Back to genus Saintpaulia
- Plantpedia: Browse flowering plants by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, or Origin
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