African Violet
4.6 out of 5 (126 experiences)
Blooms easily
Fast grower
Taxonomy
Streptocarpus ionathus
Streptocarpus
Gesneriaceae
Lamiales
How to care for African Violet
How often to water your African Violet
every 9
African Violet needs 0.5 cups of water every 9 when it doesn’t get direct sunlight and is potted in a 5" pot.
Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.
Water 0.5 cups every
9
Finding light for African Violet in your home
a window
African Violet may have difficulty thriving, and will drop leaves 🍃, without ample sunlight.
Place it less than 3 feet from a south-facing window to maximize the potential for growth.
Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement of African Violet in your home 🏡.
How to fertilize African Violet
Most potting soils come with ample nutrients which plants use to produce new growth.
By the time your plant has depleted the nutrients in its soil it’s likely grown enough to need a larger pot anyway.
To replenish this plant's nutrients, repot your African Violet after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.
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Messed up and moved from inside to outside for a few days and noticed the other morning that the flower blooms were all fried so we came back inside to it's window perch and now it looks like this... #africanviolet #newplantmom #helpneeded #AfricanViolet
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Droopy Leaves After Repot I repotted my #AfricanViolet last night after seeing the top of her soil with - what I'm assuming to be - mold. She went from her plastic nursery pot to a terracotta pot. I didn't go up in size much if at all. And I see this morning that a lot of her outer leaves are flimsy and droopy. I did give her a little drink after the repot, even though it seemed her previous soil was still a little moist. Does anyone know what the issue could be?? Thank you!
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So very sad I don't know what's killing my poor violet plant? I just got it and brought it to my work and I don't know if it was neglected or what but since bringing it home the flowers have all shriveled. Can I save it? If so how?! Please help thanks!
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What went wrong with my African Violet? I had recently moved and all my plants went through a little bit of trama. Once they were in the new house and were allocated to their surroundings, I repotted the majority of them. Unfortunately my African Violet was unable to bounce back. What did I do wrong? Was it the soil or just the new location all together? #AfricanViolet #help
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Terrarium Showstoppers Hey #GregGang , this one is for anyone who has created #Terrariums before, enclosed or open: which plants made the roster and are thriving in their own ecosystems? Bonus question: which plants said “nope, this ain’t for me”? #PlantAddict #PlantsMakePeopleHappy
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My Kenyan Violet's have been blooming for months now, I'm so happy! Blooms have been scarce in the 2 years I've had them (away from direct sun)... Contrary to popular belief, my girls LOVE direct sunlight in my south-facing windows 🤷🏼♀️ #happyplants #KenyanViolet
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African Violet Not Blooming Hi, My African Violet leaves seem healthy (a step up from my usual past experiences!) but it has unfortunately stopped blooming. I have not overwatered this one so the leaves are firm & seem to be growing, but they are tilted slightly upward so I tried to move it into a bit more light than I was giving it before. Any other suggestions? TIA!
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How to get an African Violet to bloom?? I have had this baby for quite awhile now, and have learned a lot through it! I saved it from root rot, learned how to properly water it, and how much humidity it likes. That said, it's currently under a grow light (11 inches away), I put a large bag over it (without touching the leaves; learned my lesson about that when one leaf got a bit brown), and I make triple sure not to over water. What do I need to do to see it bloom? 😭
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I lost my beautiful Betty last night to root rot 😭 it's devastating when you put so much time and effort into researching how to take care of a specific plant and you still lose it 😔 I have lots and lots of her leaves propagating, so I'm just giving them a little pep talk at least twice a day 😂 I now have a 12 quart bag of premium perlite and am determined to not let one of my babies get root rot again!
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Browning leaves Iris was making a lot of improvement when I moved her to the north window but now her leaves are turning brown. Anyone know what's going on? #plantaddict #plantsmakepeoplehappy #plantlover #plantmafia #planttherapy #greggang #africanviolet #kenyanviolet
African Violet is generally considered an easy-to-care-for plant and makes a great choice for beginners!
💦 Water Needs
African Violet prefers for the soil to dry out between waterings and should be watered regularly. Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.
☀️ Sunlight Needs
African Violet may have difficulty thriving and will drop leaves 🍃 without ample sunlight. Place it less than 3 feet from a window to maximize the potential for growth. Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement in your home 🏡.
🐶 🐈 👶 Toxicity
Greg does not have confirmed data on this plant’s toxicity. If you, a family member, or a pet consumes plant material of unknown toxicity, it’s always best to consult a medical professional.
If you or someone else ingested this plant, call Poison Control at US (800) 222-1222. If a pet consumed this plant, contact your veterinarian or the ASPCA at US (888) 426-4435.
💨 Humidity
African Violet prefers dry environments. Providing extra humidity or misting your plant allows water to linger on leaves, which can create the perfect environment for harmful types of fungi.
🪴 Soil
African Violet is very sensitive to dry soil, so choose a potting soil that retains moisture. A good soil will still drain well and contain lots of organic matter such as coco coir or sphagnum moss.
💩 Fertilizer
African Violet should be repotted after it doubles in size or once a year, whichever comes first. Fresh potting soil has all the nutrients your plant needs, so as long as it’s refreshed yearly, you shouldn’t need to use fertilizer. Remember, plants get their energy from sunlight, not fertilizer!
🌎 Native Region
African Violet is native to Africa.
⬆️ ⬇️ Growth Pattern
African Violet grows vertically and new growth will emerge from the top of the plant.
🌦️ Growing Outdoors
USDA Hardiness Zone
African Violet can be grown outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 11-12. Find your local hardiness zone here.
🌱 Propagation
African Violet can be propagated by the leaf method. To propagate:
- Remove a leaf by gently twisting until it pops off.
- To get the leaf to root, you can either:
- Place the leaf in water until roots emerge and are ~2” long and then transplant into well-draining soil, or
- Place the leaf directly into well-draining soil
🧐 Troubleshooting
When troubleshooting a sad-looking houseplant, start by checking for signs of distress in its leaves, such as yellowing, browning, or drooping, which can indicate overwatering or nutrient deficiencies.
Inspect the soil moisture; too dry or too wet soil can cause problems.
Ensure the plant is getting the right amount of light, as too much or too little can stress it.
Finally, consider environmental factors like temperature and humidity, and adjust care routines accordingly to revive your plant.
Care Summary for African Violet
African Violet
Greg recommends:
Water
0.5 cups every 9 days
Placement
< 3ft from a window
Nutrients
Repot after 2x growth
Based on the 4” pot your plant is in, and that it doesn’t get direct sunlight.
What other plant parents say
Blooms easily 70
Fast grower 49
Survivor 47
Large, lush leaves 30
Browns easily 24
Easy to propagate 21
03/06/2022
I’ve been in love with African violets since I was about 9-years-old. They’re easy to care for if you pay them just a little bit of attention. Find the right spot for them, and they will thrive. I always pinch off rangy leaves and dead blossoms to encourage new growth.
Fast grower
Blooms easily
12/28/2021
This plant grows very quickly but the larger the leaves are the more likely they are to get dirt stuck on the velvet. I use a toothbrush to gently brush the dirt off and she stays very happy
Fast grower
12/28/2021
I bought this plant about three months ago and it had put out a lot of new leaves. It hasn’t grown enough to need a new pot, but it has new leaves appearing almost constantly
Fast grower
12/22/2021
Super easy to care for. Bottom water. Mine has bloomed a couple times without much effort.
Blooms easily
12/21/2021
This has been so easy. Happy everywhere I put it. Fine if I forget to water. Bloomed twice so far. I endorse this low maintenance queen
Blooms easily
Survivor
12/19/2021
Propagated these from single leaves.
Fast grower
Easy to propagate
Blooms easily
11/24/2021
African violets are a great starter plant, in my opinion. The only thing to really watch out for is that the leaves don’t like getting wet so bottom watering is a good option.
11/24/2021
Very easy plant but make sure you don’t get the leaves wet! I recommend bottom watering African Violets to avoid getting the leaves wet.
Pet friendly, which is a plus.
Large, lush leaves
Blooms easily
10/22/2021
I find violets extremely easy to care for. Once you find the right spot in your house for them they bloom all year round. Not a lot of sun but just enough.
Fast grower
Blooms easily
Large, lush leaves
Survivor
Browns easily
10/12/2021
African violets need lots of humidity and produce a small violet flower.
Blooms easily
09/12/2021
It keeps a flower One die another comes
Blooms easily
09/05/2021
Use warm water when watering
Fast grower
Large, lush leaves
Survivor
Blooms easily
08/23/2021
I bought this plant not knowing much, and it lost all its flowers. Make sure to keep it in sunlight and to water from the bottom
Survivor
Blooms easily
Fast grower
08/12/2021
My beautiful friend
Fast grower
Large, lush leaves
07/28/2021
With the right care, it will bloom quite frequently and grow easily!
Fast grower
Blooms easily
Survivor
Large, lush leaves
07/26/2021
I have my African violet in a pot that sits in the water. It’s easy to keep and blooms regularly
Blooms easily
Survivor
07/25/2021
They are easy to care for and always look so good
Easy to propagate
07/20/2021
I put this in a west facing window as per the advice when I received it and sometimes that is still too much sun.
Blooms easily
07/16/2021
Aretha loves my north facing window!
Fast grower
Large, lush leaves
Blooms easily
07/07/2021
A very tricky plant, but once you get the hang of what it needs they’re very easy to take care of!
Easy to propagate
Browns easily
Blooms easily
Fast grower
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