AFRICAN VIOLETS
AFRICAN VIOLETS - Saintpaulia ionantha - Gesneriad Family
Favourite Exotic Houseplants - fairly easy and inexpensive hobby
History: In 1892 Baron Walter von Saint Paul discovered the African Violet in the Usambara Mountains of tropical East-
Africa (present-day Kenya and Tanzania) and sent some seeds to his father in Germany, who shared them with the botanist Herman Wendland at the Royal Botanical Gardens; Wendland gave them the botanical name Saintpaulia ionantha (ionantha in Greek meaning - resembling a violet).
In 1894 they were already introduced to New York, but considered difficult to grow (in drafty cold homes) until fluorescent lights were discovered in 1938. Then their popularity started to soar and they caused a sensation at the
Flower Show in Atlanta in 1946. Their common English name became African Violet - their common German name is
"Usambara Veilchen" (Usambara Violet).
African Violets belong to the botanical Gesneriad family. They are grouped into 9 species and a few sub-species, but most are developed and hybridized from the ionantha species. Other species: Saintpaulia - brevipilosa - goetzeana - inconspicua - nitida - pendula - pusilla - rupicola - shumensis - teitensis - velutina.
African Violets - some of their "cousins" in the Gesneriad family: (with "normal" fibrous roots)
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Columnea (Goldfish Plant)
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Aeschyanthus (Lipstick Plant) Alsobia (with dainty fringed flowers)
Diastema
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Episcia (Flame Violet or Chocolate Soldier)
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Nematanthus (Candy Corn)
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Petrocosmea (with very symmetric foliage)
Primulina - formerly Chirita
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Streptocarpus (Cape Primrose) - their leaves resemble primrose, but they have trumpet-like flowers
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Gesneriads with rhizome roots: Achimenes, Kohleria, Eucodonia, Smithianta
Gesneriads with tuberous roots: Sinningia speciosa (Flowershop Gloxinias)
Plant Care:
LOCATION is very important - bright indirect light - best is an East or South-East window, away from the window sill to prevent drafts and extreme hot or cold temperatures. A bright North location can also be acceptable, South and West - you have to shade them with curtains during the afternoon, at least from the beginning of March till the end of October.
Watering: 3 ways - top watering, by saucer or by wicking. If you water from the top, prevent wetting the leaves, it can cause ugly spots. If you put them in a saucer with water, do not leave them standing in water longer than 1/2 hour, soggy roots can easily rot.
Wicking is time consuming to start, but saves time later, eliminating frequent or weekly watering. Let the plant dry out slightly, then water thoroughly. Small pots (and plants) need more frequent watering than larger ones. You can set back their growth by forgetting to water them regularly (every 3 to 7 days, depending on their size, humidity, temperature) but you can kill them by too much watering.
Ideal Humidity: 50 % to 70 %
Temperature: daytime 70 - 75 C, night 65 - 70 C, not under 60 C.
Ideal Soil PH range: 5.8 - 6.5
Fertilization: Feed them weakly - weekly - for almost continuous blooming or let them rest during the winter and start feeding them in March (don't overfeed) - when they will really start to grow.
Problems:
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Yellow leaves - overfeeding or dry air

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Pale leaves, curly edges - too cold
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Drooping leaves or mouldy leaves - Powdery Mildew or other diseases - clean up or discard
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Whitish spots on leaves - water left on leaves, Brown spots on leaves or flowers - sun burn.
Repotting: Not too often, every 6 - 12 month, they bloom better when roots are pot-bound.
Propagation:
Leaf Cuttings or Suckers (little shoots, plantlets growing on the sides)
Seeds or Tissue Culture
Leaf cuttings take about 3 to 8 weeks in water (or Vermiculite) to grow roots and another month or longer to grow shoots. Suckers (little plantlets) grow faster, especially trailers.
Taking off suckers will keep plants' foliage symmetric, with one crown. Chimera types ( with a distinctive white stripe in the middle of the petals) can only be grown from suckers, not from seeds or leaf cuttings.
Sizes:
Mini-mini 1 1/2 inch diameter
Miniature up to 6"
Semi-minis (Compacts) 6"-8"
Standard 8" - 12" - 14"
Large 12" - 14" - 16"
Extra Large: dinner plate size
Trailers
Leaf types and shapes:
Plain green (Boy type), glossy(Nitida species), hairy, quilted, red underside, wavy edged, white spot at base of leaf blade
(Girl type), dark spot at base of leaf blade (Geneva type)
Variegated (different types of variegation - with yellow, cream or white) heart-shaped, fluted edge, scalloped or serrated edge, ovate, round or elongated leaves and several other shapes.
2 main flower types: classic Single Pansy and Star shape (all 5 petals are equal in size and shape)
Other distinctive blossom choices: Single (5 petals only - 2 upper small and 3 lower slightly larger)
Semi-double (with a few small extra petals)
Wasp (very dainty)
Double (completely double petals)
Carnation (ruffled double),
Bell-shape,
Geneva (white edge),
Sticktite (cupped),
Frilled, Fringed, Two-tone, Bi-colour, Multi-colour, Tinged, Dusted, Streaked, Splashed, Sparkling (glitter markings)
Mottled. Thumb-print patches, Fantasy (flecked, spotted).