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A popular and beautiful house plant, African violets bring outstanding color inside all year round with their perennial blooms. With these easy tips, you can keep your African violets stunning no matter how much of a house plant novice you may be.

About African Violets

African violets (Saintpaulia) are widespread indoor plants, but outdoors they are only found in the Usambara Mountains of eastern tropical Africa. Their compact habits and colorful blooms, however, have made them popular for domestic cultivation, and today there are dozens of different hybrids and cultivars found worldwide. The leaves are slightly fuzzy and generally dark green, though there are types of African violets with lighter green or even variegated foliage. Bloom colors come in all shades of pink, purple, mauve, blue, and magenta, and may be variegated or have white markings as well. The cheery yellow centers of these flowers give them even more flair and a bright countenance that is always enjoyable.

Depending on the exact cultivar, the plant’s maturity, and its age, African violets can grow from 2-6 inches tall with foliage spreading from 2-16 inches wide. As perennials, these flowers will bloom year after year, and many house plant lovers quickly get hooked on collecting different types of African violets.

Caring for African Violets

While these flowers are the easiest blooming house plant for novices to care for, they do require some particular care to look their best and stay healthy and blooming. To make the most of your African violets…

• Choose a small, somewhat shallow pot with drainage holes. These flowers grow their roots out rather than down, and a snug pot will help keep them flowering more often.
• Use peat-based, well-draining soil that is 30-50 percent perlite or vermiculite so water drains well and the roots don’t get soggy. Not all violet soil mixes are best for African violets.
• Avoid dramatic temperature changes. These flowers do best in temperatures ranging from 65-75 degrees, but avoid vents, breezes, or outside doors where chills or drafts can happen.
• Water African violets with lukewarm water that has aged for 24 hours so there are no chemical contaminants. Do not get water on the foliage, as it will cause spotting.
• The soil for African violets should be kept evenly moist, and the plant will need to be watered when the top of the soil has dried out. Do not allow the plants to sit in water for longer periods.
• These flowers do best in high humidity, so consider using a pebble tray or humidity tray under the pot, or have a humidifier in the room so the plants will feel more comfortable.
• African violets need 8-14 hours of moderate to bright sunlight each day to keep their color and bloom their best. Filtered light is best, and it can be supplemented with grow lights if needed.
• These flowers also require an 8-hour rest period of darkness each day or they will not bloom properly. Use timers on supplemental lights to avoid too much light.
• Rotate the pot regularly to keep the plants growing evenly and prevent any stretching as the foliage bends toward the sun. Turning the pot with every watering will keep the growth even. 
• Fertilize sparingly with a blend specifically formulated for African violets, or opt for a fertilizer with a higher phosphorus content to encourage brighter, bigger blooms. 
• Pinch off blooms as they wilt to encourage more flower growth and reblooming to keep your plant as colorful as possible.

African violets can be pretty little showstoppers, and with the proper care, these flowering house plants can bring a bit of color anywhere in your home, no matter what color your gardening thumb may be.