Originally published July 6, 2024 in the Yakima Herald-Republic
by Carol Barany
Last week, I was looking through a cabinet I hadn’t opened in years, looking for a vase I never did find. It was worth the search, because what I did find was a ceramic flower pot that belonged to my grandmother who died 26 years ago at the age of 92. Just the sight of that pot opened my heart to a flood of wonderful memories.
My grandmother was the first gardener I ever knew.
This was the pot that always contained an African Violet, the only houseplant she ever grew. It sat in an east facing window on a small end table in her living room. I have to be honest and admit that as I got older, I considered her African Violets to be “old lady” plants.
These days, the cool kids of the houseplant world are Monstera’ Thai Constellation’ and Variegated Alocasia ‘Frydeck’. But since I’m a proud member of the “old lady” demographic and a grandmother myself now, I went out and bought an African Violet to grow in my grandmother’s pot.
It felt really good.
Plants go through trends and fads just like anything else. For my grandmother, a salad by definition started with a box of Jello. I remember a time when I couldn’t be seen in public wearing an outfit without shoulder pads. Looking at photos of myself in the Eighties, what was I thinking? I look like a wannabe linebacker.
The National Garden Bureau named 2024 as the Year of the African Violet. If you grow houseplants, let’s make African Violets “cool” again. After all, do you have any other house plant that flowers for months on a windowsill, is easy to propagate, and can be purchased full-size and in full-bloom for $5.98?
An African violet (Saintpaulia ionantha) was found growing near the border of Kenya and Tanzania in tropical Africa in 1892 by Baron Walter Von Saint Paul. These plants had been living there in the forest understory for millions of years and were called ‘Dughulushi in the local Kisambaa language. When Germany colonialized the area in 1885, the Baron was appointed district commissioner. On his frequent walks in the rainforest, the plants reminded him of the violets back home. Recognizing that they were not the same, he sent seeds to his botanist father in Germany, who sent them on to a friend at Royal Botanic Garden in Hanover. That botanist realized the plant was new to science, named the genus after the Saint Paul family, and gave it the species name “ionantha” which is the Latin term for “violet like.”
The real popularity of African violets in America began 1927 when a Los Angeles nursery released a number of hybrids. Woolworth & Co., a five-and-dime store pioneer, sold these new hybrids, making African violets popular nationwide and marking the very first chain-store venture into selling plants.
Woolworth & Co. was successful, and you will be too, because African Violets are easy to grow.
Use a well-draining potting soil kept uniformly moist but not soggy.
When watering, keep in mind that cold water left on African Violet leaves can cause spotting. To avoid this, place the potted violet in a dish filled with room temperature water and let the plant take up what it needs from below. After 30 minutes, drain any water left standing. I remember my grandmother always did this in her kitchen sink.
Plants should be fertilized regularly during periods of active growth and flowering with a product recommended for African Violets.
Being tropical, African violets don’t like temperatures below 55 degrees, chilly drafts, or their leaves touching cold windows.
African violets bloom best when rootbound. A 4-6” pot is perfect. Re-pot in fresh soil once per year for more blooms.
African Violets require just the right light. “Photo accumulators”, they are plants that must receive a specific quantity of light before they will flower. But because they are understory plants, they should never be exposed to full sunlight conditions. Ideally, plants should have between 500 to 600 foot candles of light, which is about the light in a north window sill in the summer, and an east facing window in the winter.
The National Garden Bureau recommends that if your plant hasn’t bloomed in over 2 months, tinker with the growing conditions. Try a different window, add some fertilizer, make the watering more consistent, and remove dead or wilted outer leaves and any faded flowers.
Adjusting conditions a little is often all it takes to get the plant blooming again.