Scientific Name
Saintpaulia ionantha H. Wendl.
Common Names
African Violet, Usambara Violet
Synonyms
Petrocosmea ionantha, Saintpaulia kewensis, Saintpaulia tongwensis, Streptocarpus ionanthus
Scientific Classification
Family: Gesneriaceae
Genus: Saintpaulia
Flower
Color: Violet, purple, bright violet-blue
Bloom Time: Flowers freely
Description
Saintpaulia ionantha is a tender flowering indoor perennial that grows up to 6 inches (15 cm) tall and up to 12 inches (30 cm) wide. It is a low, compact plant with attractive hairy, dark green, up to 3 inches (7.5 cm) long leaves. Flowers are bright violet-blue, up to 1.2 inches (3 cm) in diameter, and borne in small panicles just above the foliage.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zone 11a to 12b: from 40 °F (+4.4 °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 have seen them to encourage a healthier plant. Regularly check the soil and plant to make sure there is no accumulation of dead leaves. This will encourage rot.
Growing these houseplants is really a matter of balance. You have to make sure that the different factors that go into their cultivation are weighted against each other. They should be kept in moist enough conditions that they don't dry out yet are 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 is all part of the process.
African Violets do better when they are slightly underpotted. 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
It is native to Kenya and Tanzania.
Subspecies
Links
- Back to genus Saintpaulia
- Plantopedia: Browse flowering plants by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, or Origin
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