African Violet (Streptocarpus sect. Saintpaulia)

Ideal for sprucing up and adding colour to small spaces, the African violet is a popular houseplant for its compact size and everlasting flowers available in varying shades of pink and violet. Its smooth, velvet-textured petals make it attractive to many, while its thick, dark green foliage with tiny white hairs, feels fuzzy to one’s touch!

Native to the forests of Tanzania and Kenya, African violets grow naturally between rocks with pockets of soil under tree canopies. At home, if the plant is in an air-conditioned environment, you may want to place it amongst other plants or frequently mist the area surrounding it to ensure optimum humidity. African violets will flower consistently if you place yours near a window, mimicking its natural environment with filtered sunlight. To avoid crown or leaf rot, water directly on the soil surface, lifting the leaves gently if necessary.

Consider adding some colour to your houseplant collection with an African violet! When you’re a proud owner of one, a fun experiment that you can do is to multiply your African violet via leaf propagation, where a mature leaf is used to produce additional plantlets!

Check out the video to learn more about caring for your African violet.