Is Saintpaulia a perennial?
Saintpaulias, commonly known as African violets, are a genus of 6–20 species of herbaceous perennial flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae, native to Tanzania and adjacent southeastern Kenya in eastern tropical Africa. If you want your African violet to bloom almost continuously – then Epsom salts are the answer. Mix one and a half teaspoons of Epsom salts in a quart of tepid water and swirl to dissolve. Water your African violets (below the leaves) with this solution once a month. Your plants will thank you with beautiful blooms.LIGHT: African violets need 11-14 hours of bright, indirect sunlight to flower. Avoid exposing them to direct sunlight which can burn their leaves. TEMPERATURE: They like temperatures between 65-75°F during the day and slightly cooler temperatures at night.Use Miracle-Gro® African Violet Potting Mix, blended for the specific needs of your African Violets. The mix feeds these plants for up to 6 months. For best results, use it with Miracle-Gro® Blooming Houseplant Food and when potting or repotting indoor or outdoor container plants.African Violet (Saintpaulia) 🌱 Care Tip: Sprinkle a thin layer of dried coffee grounds on top of the soil every few weeks or mix it into the potting mix.
Is Saintpaulia an indoor plant?
Saintpaulia Light Blue | Houseplant Incredibly popular flowering houseplants, the modern African violets are relatively easy to keep if kept out of direct sunlight and not overwatered (they are a ‘succulent-type’ plant). Necks on African violets are a natural part of growth. As leaf age and are removed, the stalk becomes exposed. It’s ugly and vulnerable to breaking if the plant tumbles. It isn’t advisable to bury the neck deeper in a bigger pot, since it is vulnerable to rotting which may spread up into the crown.On top of their ability to flower continually, unlike many flowering houseplants that live only a few years, the African Violet can live up to 50 years! Giving the delicate plants the attention they require is a small price to pay for a 50-year long-living flower display.African violets are typically grown as indoor plants, but they will also tolerate growing outdoors in a protected warm, part-shade spot.When repotting your African Violets, put them into pots that are more wide and shallow rather than deep, their roots grow out not down. Too much moist soil under their roots can lead to root rot. Remember that in their native home they grow on rocks. African violets on occasion can get mealy bugs.
What is the habitat of the Saintpaulia Ionantha?
African violets (Saintpaulia ionantha) are not even closely related to violets, but they are from Africa. African violets are members of the gesneriad family and hail from the tropical rainforest region of east Africa near the border of Tanzania and Kenya. Saintpaulia Light Blue | Houseplant Incredibly popular flowering houseplants, the modern African violets are relatively easy to keep if kept out of direct sunlight and not overwatered (they are a ‘succulent-type’ plant).Light Intensity For best growth and flowering, African violets require bright light (~1000 foot candles), but no direct sunlight (Figure 2). This is the amount of light within 3 feet of a southeast- or west-facing window. Lower light levels for longer periods of time are also adequate.Starving violets lack the energy to bloom. Many growers have the best success fertilizing once a week with a mild fertilizer designed for African violets. A balanced formula such as a 20-20-20 or one that has slightly more phosphorus, like a 15-20-15 will do well in most growing situations.
How to care for Saintpaulia ionantha?
Keeping African violets blooming all year requires a harmonious balance of the right conditions. Firstly, provide bright, indirect light, ideally using a grow light for 12-14 hours daily. Consistently maintain temperatures between 65-75°F (18-24°C). Use a high-phosphorus fertilizer every 2 weeks to encourage blossoms. Answer: Place African violets in a location that receives bright, indirect light. A site near an east or north window is often a good location. Do not place African violets in direct sun.African violets prefer to be within 12 inches of a bright window. If windows aren’t available, fluorescent light or LED lights may be used to supplement. Depending on the lighting product, violets should be positioned 10-30 inches away from the light unit, and the light should be turned on for 6-12 hours a day.African violets prefer bright, indirect light such as an East or North facing window. Direct sunlight will burn the leaves. And they are notorious for not re-blooming without the correct lighting situation. Rotate once a week to keep their uniform, rounded shape.On top of their ability to flower continually, unlike many flowering houseplants that live only a few years, the African Violet can live up to 50 years! Giving the delicate plants the attention they require is a small price to pay for a 50-year long-living flower display.African violets prefer small, cozy root spaces that help them focus energy on blooming instead of filling extra soil with roots. A simple rule: the pot should be one-third the diameter of the plant’s leaf spread.