With foliage houseplants, you can remove them with a cotton bud soaked in methylated spirits but as African Violets are sensitive to this treatment, it’s best to always throw away affected plants. I’ve also been successful with mini-Sinningias, S. pusilla, which, because they need very high humidity, I’ve grown in a terrarium. You’ll know some of them are the popular houseplants, African Violets, Cape Primroses or Streptocarpus and Gloxinia plus maybe the Flame Violet (Episcia), Goldfish plants (Columnea and Nematanthus), Hot Water plant (Achimenes), and Lipstick plant (Aeschynanthes), which are availble from specialist growers. ‘Lovestruck’ has single lavender flowers with a violet ruffled edge They need to receive more than 12 hours light daily to initiate new flower buds, although existing buds will open with less. The flowers are 2–3 cm in diameter, with a five-lobed velvety corolla ("petals"), and grow in clusters of 3–10 or more on slender stalks called peduncles. The violet symbolizes loyalty, devotion, and faithfulness. This is a lovely variation that has a bright pinkish, purple petal that is edged with what looks like white lace. Watering is always best done from the bottom using tepid rainwater. African violets are one of the easiest plants to propagate. If you want to please your favorite family members or friends who love African Violets, give them the Vencer Self-Watering Hanging Flower Pot. I also like to put a layer of perlite in the bottom of the pot to allow the excess water a place to collect. Get to know your houseplants – observe and feel them regularly…even talk to them! Touch the compost – if it feels dry in the top few centimetres then it’s time to water. As good light is essential for African Violets to flower, they can be induced to bloom at any time under artificial light. It belongs to the family Gesneriaceae. Watering: Keep soil moist to dry, and allow soil around roots to dry out before watering to encourage blooming.Water from the bottom with room temperature water by placing the plastic grower's pot in water, and allowing the plant to absorb the water ( not more than 30 minutes ). Water 2-3 times a week in summer, but do not let the plant stand in water otherwise the base of the leaves may rot. The deep purple lines on the throat and between the two colours define the colour contrast. African violets are from the plant family Gesneriaceae while the true violets (Viola) are from Violaceae. The family is characterized by bilaterally symmetrical, bisexual flowers, each of which has a two-lipped corolla of five fused petals; five-lobed calyx (sepals); two or four, rarely five, anthers that are joined lightly together or in pairs; and a superior or partly inferior ovary (i.e., positioned above the attachment point of the other flower parts, or slightly below them) with a single chamber in which numerous small seeds are produced on the walls of the ovary (parietal placentation). If for example, like Cape Primroses, your houseplants come from the wooded areas, they will not thrive in full sunshine, but may still want a bright position. Avoid those with torn or blemished foliage and any that are being sold from outdoor market stalls, as they may have got a chill. They are small and compact which makes them perfect as potted houseplants. The leaves are saucer-shaped and velvety, borne in short stems (3-4 inches). African Violet Care: Basic Summary Light: Moderate to bright, indirect, indoor light. Great Savings & Free Delivery / Collection on many items Modern Gloxinias are hybrids of the Brazilian species, Sinningia speciosa. African violet, (genus Saintpaulia ), any of the six species of flowering plants in the genus Saintpaulia (family Gesneriaceae ). They are grown for ornament, most of them as houseplants in temperate regions. If you can squeeze moisture between your fingers, then don’t water. … Chempak Fertiliser Feed African Violet High Phosphate Water Soluble House Plant Food with Trace Elements 12 x 200g Packs by Thompson and Morgan £49.99 £ 49 . Immediately after flowering allow the plants to rest for about 4-6 weeks by giving them only enough water to prevent the leaves from sulking, after which normal watering should be resumed. Some forms, called the Tigrina Gloxinias, have flowers heavily spotted or delicately veined in these colours on a white background, and others have frilled edges, touched with white. African violets originally come from Tanzania, in East Africa. Use ‘open’, well-draining compost and maybe add a pinch of charcoal to absorb impurities. These blooms are relatively small. This plant forms a shrubby, spreading mound to six inches high and two feet wide and performs well in a hanging basket. Back when I was a kid, sinningias (then called gloxinias) were basically an enormous version of the African violet, with dinnerplate-wide rosettes of … Good humidity is essential for African Violets to thrive, but as they have hairy leaves, it isn’t a good idea to mist the plants but to stand them on trays of moist pebbles but not so the compost gets wet. When I was a student at the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh (RBGE) during the late 70s, one of my responsibilities was to look after the Gesneriad collection, which are plants belonging to the African Violet or Saintpaulia family. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Have a magnifying glass handy, as pests such as red spider mite are so tiny that they’re difficult to see with the naked eye. 3,540 species in the Old World (most Cyrtandroideae) and New World (Gesnerioideae) tropics and subtropics, with a very small number extending to temperate areas.Many species have colorful and showy flowers and are cultivated as ornamental plants. Huge collection, amazing choice, 100+ million high quality, affordable RF and RM images. Corrections? You can simply root the leaves by covering a water-filled jar with cling film or foil then poke holes in that covering with a pencil, and insert the stems of the leaves through the holes. I’ve also grown them from seed in a heated propagator, however in this case, I would probably have been better off buying tubers as they took a long time to get going. The wooded ravines and valleys of Africa and Madagascar are home to Cape primroses. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/plant/Gesneriaceae. Their closeness and moisture rising from the pebbles, or peat around them, will provide a microclimate of humidity to keep plants in tip-top condition. Omissions? Gesneriaceae, the gesneriad family, is a family of flowering plants consisting of about 152 genera and ca. These prepared mixes have been sprayed with a chemical that causes the peat moss to absorb water, and then release it slowly to the plant. To resolve this problem, it is often enough to let the soil dry out and then water less frequently. African Violet Family - Plant information, facts and uses, photos, growing tips, where to buy, and more. Saintpaulias, which grow from 6–15 cm tall, can be anywhere from 6–30 cm wide. GESNERIACEAE - The African Violet Family This is a family of around 2000 species in 125 genera, most of them tropical herbs and shrubs, rarely trees, with a few occuring in temperate areas of the world. Leaf Propagation The most common way for African Violets to be propagated is via the leaf. African violets thrive best where a constant temperature of around 16C is maintained. Updates? Re-pot in spring but only when necessary, which is probably every other year. From spring through to mid-autumn, it’s important to keep the compost moderately moist at all times, but never sodden. 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