Types of African Violets

Series Summary

Let's face it- not all of us have a green thumb. Though we try and try, some plants seem to just refuse our tenacity. This can be daunting and discouraging to those who want to enjoy the beauty of live plants at home. However, if you are one of these poor souls that seem to be cursed by plants, there is hope! Sometimes the simplest actions can make your dried up green thumb blossom into a lush and thriving appendage. Of course, there are simple things that a plant needs for survival. Water, soil, sun, and air seem to be the basic building blocks of plant care. So, with the proper combination of these simple elements, a former eyesore household plant could be transformed into the envy of plant lovers everywhere.

One of the most common household plants is the African violet. This delicate plant produces beautiful purple flowers. If you have been looking into caring for an African violet, this free video series is perfect for you. Learn how to care for African violets with the help of our expert gardener. Gail Thompson shows you everything you need to know to care for these plants. Learn how to water and feed African violets. Also, learn how to give them the perfect lighting and soil. Gail shows you how to transplant African violets too. So, what are you waiting for? Connect with your inner-gardener, and begin caring for African violets today!

Video Transcript

"These are African Violets. We have three varieties here for you to take a look at today. The first one is your normal African Violet that you can find in most retail establishments. These are the little mini's. They grow no longer, no larger than six to eight inches across. This is called a Kamarin. You'll notice it's pinwheel ruffled flower, its variegated leaf and it's ruffled leaf. Now not all Kamarins have ruffled leaf or a variegated leaf. This one here as you can see, is a Karamin that has only a beautiful green leaf but a very deeply ruffled flower. Now the definition of a Kamarin is any organism or tissue that has more than two different kinds of cells. Why that is important, is that when it comes to propagation. If you propagate this African Violet let's say by the leaf. The tissue resulting and the child or the plant coming from the parent plant will be identical. It has one cell. The Kamarin which has two cells will not produce identical plant to the parent unless you propagate it through either a crown cutting or through suckers."