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Kenyan Violet

4.7 out of 5 (43 experiences)

Blooms easily

Fast grower

Also known as

African Violet, African Violet 'Rob's Zombie' and African Violet 'Rob's Astro Zombie'

Taxonomy

Scientific name

Streptocarpus ionanthus

Genus

Streptocarpus

Family

Gesneriaceae

Order

Lamiales

How to care for Kenyan Violet

💦 Water

How often to water your Kenyan Violet

Kenyan 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

Does your plant get direct sunlight?

No Yes

Select the pot size

☀️ Light

Finding light for Kenyan Violet in your home

Kenyan 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 Kenyan Violet in your home 🏡.

🪴 Nutrients

How to fertilize Kenyan Violet

Nutrient, fertilizer, and repotting needs for Kenyan Violet: repot after 2X growth

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 Kenyan Violet after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.

Browse #KenyanViolet

💡 FAQs

⭐ Difficulty Level

Kenyan Violet is generally easy to care for, though some plant parents report facing challenges with growing it. Check out the reviews down below to read more about their experiences!

Benefits of Growing Kenyan Violet →

Common Kenyan Violet Problems →

💦 Water Needs

Kenyan 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.

Kenyan Violet Water Frequency →

Kenyan Violet Root Rot →

☀️ Sunlight Needs

Kenyan 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 🏡.

Kenyan Violet Light Requirements →

Kenyan Violet Direct Sunlight Needs & Tolerance →

🐶 🐈 👶 Toxicity

Kenyan Violet is not known to cause harm to humans or pets. Regardless, if you, a family member, a cat, or dog has ingested any plant material, please consult a doctor or a veterinarian.

Kenyan Violet Toxicity to Cats →

Kenyan Violet Toxicity to Dogs →

Kenyan Violet Toxicity to Humans →

💨 Humidity

Kenyan 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.

Kenyan Violet Humidity Needs →

🪴 Soil

Kenyan 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.

Best Soil Mix for Kenyan Violet →

When and How to Successfully Repot Kenyan Violet →

💩 Fertilizer

Kenyan 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!

How Much and When to Fertilize Kenyan Violet →

🌎 Native Region

Kenyan Violet is native to Africa.

🌸 Flowers

Yes, you may see your Kenyan Violet bloom with the right amount of sunlight and water.

Kenyan Violet Flowers →

⬆️ ⬇️ Growth Pattern

Kenyan Violet grows vertically and new growth will emerge from the top of the plant.

How and When to Prune Kenyan Violet →

🌦️ Growing Outdoors

USDA Hardiness Zone
Kenyan Violet can be grown outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 10a-11b. Find your local hardiness zone here.

Kenyan Violet Temperature Tolerance →

🌱 Propagation

The seeds of Kenyan Violet can be used to grow new plants! After your plant flowers, any seeds that formed can be collected and germinated in potting soil.

How to Propagate Kenyan Violet →

🍂 Yellow Leaves

Yellow leaves aren’t always a reason to panic, and can be a normal part of a plant’s life cycle. Unless brand new leaves are turning yellow or all the leaves change color at once, it’s likely just your plant shedding old leaves.

Overwatering and root rot are the most likely cause of problems in Kenyan Violet, since they are sensitive to wet soil. The leaves may also appear to be curling or drooping. Less often, yellow leaves are caused by underwatering, nutrient deficiencies, or pests.

Replace soggy soil with fresh, dry soil and download Greg to make sure your plant never gets overwatered again!

🧐 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 Kenyan Violet

Kenyan 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 25

Fast grower 17

Survivor 14

Browns easily 7

Easy to propagate 5

Large, lush leaves 5

@@Pittyplantlover

39 Plants

3,624 XP

New York

04/07/2022

DO NOT get the leaves wet. She likes to be watered from below!

Fast grower

Kenyan Violet plant photo by @Pittyplantlover named Africa on Greg, the plant care app.

@@LovingSunnyAZ

11 Plants

7,971 XP

Goodyear, AZ

03/06/2022

Such a beautiful happy plant with blooms that keep on coming!

Survivor

Blooms easily

Kenyan Violet plant photo by @LovingSunnyAZ named Baby Violet on Greg, the plant care app.

@@ZingyRockfig

18 Plants

1,223 XP

Winchester, VA

02/21/2022

Love my violet. So easy to take care of and the intermittent blooms are gorgeous. The violet prefers north-facing windows, water from the bottom, and I add in a little violet fertilizer that I got off Amazon with each water. The plant LOVES IT! The bloom cycles are so beautiful and it requires very little maintenance to keep it happy.

Blooms easily

Survivor

Kenyan Violet plant photo by @ZingyRockfig named Robert Plant on Greg, the plant care app.

@@PaytonViolet

27 Plants

853 XP

Ottawa, Ontario

01/25/2022

They’re awesome plants and come in a huge variety of colours. Can’t beat them.

Blooms easily

Survivor

Fast grower

Kenyan Violet plant photo by @PaytonViolet named M1 on Greg, the plant care app.

@@MeganO

41 Plants

20,843 XP

Washington, DC

01/20/2022

These are super easy as long as you bottom water them. Don’t get their leaves wet.

Kenyan Violet plant photo by @MeganO named Violet on Greg, the plant care app.

@@grimmauxillatrix

23 Plants

4,328 XP

Alameda, CA

12/23/2021

The greenhouse I bought it from has a ton with lovely blooms. Do not be fooled, this is a picky little plant! Apparently it "blooms when it's happy" which must mean mine is fuckin miserable. It will brown if you get water on its leaves so I'm pipetting it with water. I hope it will perk up when the weather gets warmer.

Browns easily

Kenyan Violet plant photo by @grimmauxillatrix named ☠️Picky!! on Greg, the plant care app.

@Ellen

13 Plants

1,148 XP

12/04/2021

Water from bottpm

Large, lush leaves

Blooms easily

Survivor

Fast grower

Kenyan Violet plant photo by Ellen named Mollie on Greg, the plant care app.

@@laurenbeth99

11 Plants

208 XP

11/25/2021

She’s easy to overwater, but blooms so fast!

Blooms easily

Kenyan Violet plant photo by @laurenbeth99 named Agatha on Greg, the plant care app.

@@Lexigreenley

43 Plants

3,012 XP

11/06/2021

I didn’t touch this plant for MONTHS after it was gifted to me. My cats have found it to be a lovely snack, and I carelessly repotted it one day and it’s still managed to survive. When it blooms it’s beautiful.

Survivor

Kenyan Violet plant photo by @Lexigreenley named Your plant on Greg, the plant care app.

@@R_L15748

49 Plants

19,088 XP

10/15/2021

Don’t get the leaves wet!

Blooms easily

Kenyan Violet plant photo by @R_L15748 named Jack & Jill on Greg, the plant care app.

@@nila

60 Plants

14,473 XP

Coquitlam, British Columbia

10/15/2021

I’ve always loved African violets. They bloom year round and are so easy to take care of.

Blooms easily

Kenyan Violet plant photo by @nila named Abacus on Greg, the plant care app.

@@honeyyvoiced

21 Plants

9,776 XP

Des Plaines, IL

10/10/2021

Water this plant with room temperature water, otherwise you will shock the plant and stress it out

Blooms easily

Fast grower

Survivor

Kenyan Violet plant photo by @honeyyvoiced named Noodle on Greg, the plant care app.

@@R_L15748

49 Plants

19,088 XP

09/28/2021

Don’t get the leaves wet. I indirect water.

Browns easily

Kenyan Violet plant photo by @R_L15748 named Violet on Greg, the plant care app.

@@jordanwhitney3

9 Plants

463 XP

09/24/2021

This plant literally fell and was gone for 3 months in the dark and still lived. It got sunburnt because the transition from dark dark to extreme light was too fast (my fault) and STILL lived. this thing does not die🥰

Fast grower

Blooms easily

Survivor