African Violets are delightful houseplants and will brighten up any room with their purple, pink, or white colors.

Pennsylvania State University

African violets are small, easy to grow houseplants with clusters are small flowers over fuzzy leaves. They will bloom with lower light, though medium to bright indirect light is best. African violets can be a bit fussy, so check out more tips on how to make sure your African violets bloom.

Planting

You can use an actual African violet potting mix or an all-purpose potting soil. Keep them planted in small pots and re-pot once a year to allow fresh soil. The soil should be loose and well-drained, and high organic matter content is beneficial.

Care

• Keep the soil lightly moist every day and avoid getting the leaves wet. Use room temperature water.
• Fertilize every 2 weeks with a high phosphorous plant food, but only during the summer growing season. Only start to fertilize when the plant appears to need an extra boost. Over-fertilizing is a more common problem than under-fertilizing.
• Many varieties prefer warm conditions (65 degrees F or warmer) though some varieties can grow in cooler conditions.
• Thin, dark green leaves tell you that the plant is getting too little light.
• Plants should be shifted to larger pots as they grow. The optimal time for repotting is after some leaves have wilted a bit.

For more information on African violets, visit the website for the African Violet Society of America at www.avsa.org.

Pests/Diseases

• Cyclamen mites can occur. They are very hard to remove, so dispose of plant and and isolate other plants that may have been surrounding the African violet.
• Powdery Mildew
• Various forms of rot and blight

Wit & Wisdom

Water African violets from the bottom, and try avoid getting any water on the leaves. Dust the leaves with a small, soft brush.

Violets are one of the February birth flowers, so a potted African violet can make a bright gift for a February birthday.

African violets originally come from Tanzania. Find out more about these dainty flowers here. The violet also symbolizes loyalty, devotion, and faithfulness. Find out more flower symbolism here.