Let’s make a cup of tea and talk about a beautiful little houseplant that used to be hot, and maybe now is not as hot, but should be back on our “beautiful favorites” list: the African violet.
When it comes to bright vibrant colors and velvety textures, the African violet is one of the prettiest plants. Was there a kitchen anywhere that did not have a least one African violet sitting on the counter in a pretty little saucer?
Let’s do some homework together. African violets belong to the big family of streptocarpus, which sounds like a sore throat but is actually a family of perennial flowering plants that once upon a time called eastern Africa and Tanzania home. So now we know how they got their name: because of where they came from, and because they have a similar look to a violet.
Within the big family of streptocarpus, the branch of the family that contains African violets is called “saintpaulias”, a name given to them because they were discovered in Tanzania by a man named Saint Paul-Illaire, and were grown from seed by this gentleman and his father.
African violets grow in a variety of sizes, from micro, which has a plant diameter of less than three inches, up to giant which is up to sixteen inches across. They come in luscious shades of purple, blue, mauve, pink and white, and can be solid colors or with their petals frosted along the edge in other colors, or soft wipes of color coasting across the petals. Some petals are smooth, some are ruffled. They are truly beautiful. For those who know how to do it, I have heard that it is easy to propagate the plant with a leaf cutting.
How do we care for them? The plants like bright, indirect light and do not like to get chilly drafts from windows in the winter. Watering is where we have to be careful: the plants like soil that drains well, because they do not like to have their feet wet. Nor do they like cold water: it should be room temperature water that has been standing for about 48 hours. Does this sound complicated? Not really. Just keep a pitcher or jug of water continually on the go, fill it with water after we’ve watered our plants, and let it sit there in-between waterings. We should water them from the bottom, and we should try to make sure the leaves and the crown don’t get wet (the crown is the central point where all the leaves come from).
African violets like light, but indirect light. They need at least ten hours of light a day, and a beauty sleep of eight hours of darkness to give us lots of beautiful blooms.
We can fertilize them in the spring or summer. When they have a real burst of growth, with a fertilizer that has a high middle number (phosphorous), but otherwise, they are fine on their own. I also read that if the plant is just a little bit rootbound, it will encourage the plant to bloom.
There are hundreds of varieties to choose from, and because the violet represents faithfulness and devotion in the language of flowers, they were popular flowers to give to Moms and aunties for Mother’s Day. They’d make a treasured gift to anyone, anytime. They’re stunning little plants, and with proper care, they will keep on giving us a floral show in our homes.
Until things settle down in the world, the Yorkton and District Horticultural Society meetings are on hold; but we can still keep in touch! Be sure to visit our website at www.yorktonhort.ca, and rest assured that we will keep you posted about what is going on with the group!
Let’s pray for each other for health and comfort; take care, stay safe, get outside for a walk when you can, and have a good week!
