Saintpaulia 'African Violet'
Saintpaulia 'African Violet' - 4'' Nursery Pot - Purple is backordered and will ship as soon as it is back in stock.
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Description
Description
African Violet – A Classic, Colorful Houseplant Favorite
Botanical Name: Saintpaulia
Common Names: African Violet
Family: Gesneriaceae
Native Range: Eastern Tropical Africa (notably Tanzania and Kenya)
Bring Vibrant Blooms Indoors with the African Violet
The African Violet is one of the most beloved flowering houseplants, known for its soft, fuzzy leaves and vibrant blooms in shades of violet, blue, pink, or white. These compact plants bloom reliably under the right conditions and bring cheerful color to your home year-round.
While African Violets have a reputation for being finicky, they’re actually quite manageable once you understand their preferences—especially when it comes to light and watering. These plants thrive in bright to medium indirect light and prefer consistent moisture in their soil—but never soggy conditions.
Avoid watering the foliage or crown directly, as this can cause spotting or rot. Bottom watering is the preferred method: simply place your pot in a shallow dish of water and allow the plant to absorb moisture through its roots. Use room temperature filtered or distilled water to avoid damage from minerals found in tap water. Keeping moisture away from the crown also helps prevent crown rot, a common issue with overwatering.
With the proper care, African Violets can bloom continuously and even become a long-lived staple in your collection. Best of all? They’re non-toxic to pets and people, making them an ideal choice for pet-friendly homes.
Ed's Care Guide
- Care Level: Best for plant enthusiasts
- Light: Bright to medium indirect light (avoid direct sun)
- Watering: Keep soil evenly moist; bottom watering preferred. Allow the top layer to dry slightly before watering again.
- Water Type: Use distilled or filtered water at room temperature
- Humidity: Prefers moderate humidity (40–60%)
- Temperature: Ideal range is 60–80°F; protect from cold drafts
- Soil: Use a well-aerated, African Violet-specific mix with good drainage
- Feeding: Use a fertilizer specifically formulated for African Violets or one with a higher phosphorus (middle) number (like 10-30-10), diluted to ¼ strength and applied every time you water during the growing season
- Propagation: Leaf cuttings
- Pests to Watch: Mealybugs, spider mites, thrips, and occasionally fungus gnats
- Toxicity: Non-toxic to pets and humans, but always keep plants out of reach of curious paws and little hands
Fun Fact:
African Violets aren’t true violets (genus Viola)—they belong to the Gesneriad family, and many hybrids trace back to a few wild species native to the cloud forests of Tanzania.
Looking for houseplants that are safe for your furry friends? Check out our Guide to pet-friendly plants and learn how to create a vibrant, pet-safe space today!
Keep Your Plants Cozy with Heat Packs
Frequently Asked Questions
Shipping
How do you ship your plants?
How do you ship your plants?
We carefully package each plant with love by hand right from our shop in Brooklyn. Extra steps are taken to ensure that every leaf arrives in pristine shape by using polyfill and encapsulating the plant in a protective paper sleeve. The soil is also hydrated before shipping so that the plant has plenty of water for it's travel to your doorstep. We offer several shipping speeds, so please choose the one that you feel comfortable with depending on your location.
Will my plant look like the one on the website?
Will my plant look like the one on the website?
Awesome question, we're glad you asked. Given the nature of our plant shop, we're constantly moving plants in and out of the shop, making it difficult and borderline impossible to keep an exact picture of each plant. In addition to the constantly rotating crop, we often grow in batches of 6, 12, or sometimes more! With this quantity we are unable to take a photo of each and every plant. The photos that we attach to each product listing is going to be of a plant that represents the average size and fullness of that set of plants. Some may be slightly larger or smaller, but in general, similar.
Do you include heat packs with your plants?
Do you include heat packs with your plants?
We offer Heat Packs for sale separately from the plants in 40, 60 and 72 hour increments. Please add a heat pack or two to your order if you live in an area where your order may be affected during transit by cold temperatures. We are not responsible for orders that are placed and damage is incurred to the plant if a heat pack is not purchased.
Which heat pack should I choose?
Which heat pack should I choose?
Heat packs come in three different increments, so please choose the appropriate hour increment depending on the speed of shipping that you choose during checkout. For example, if you choose a cheaper shipping option that will take longer, please select the 72 hour heat pack. If you've chosen a shorter method of shipping, the 40 or 60 hour increment would work! We like to encourage our customers to always get more than you need, just to be on the safe side!
How long will it take to receive my order?
How long will it take to receive my order?
Standard shipping normally takes 3-5 days. Next day shipping is available on all domestic orders (for an additional charge). International shipping times depend on the products and destination (estimated at checkout).
Do you offer express shipping?
Do you offer express shipping?
All orders are shipped 5-8 business days from the date it is placed. Please note that as a small plant shop, we do everything in our power to get orders out as fast as we can in the order that they come in. If you have circumstances that require expedited fulfillment, please connect with you and we can potentially offer options.
What countries do you ship to?
What countries do you ship to?
We ship our selection of rare, healthy, and unique houseplants all across the United States including California. At this time, due to customs and agricultural limitations, we are unable to ship plants internationally from the United States.
Returns and Refunds
How do I return a product?
How do I return a product?
Items must be returned within 30 days after receiving your order. Items must be returned in the same condition in which they were received, be unworn/unused, have any tags still attached, and include all the original packaging.
How long will it take to receive my refund?
How long will it take to receive my refund?
Refunds are processed within 7 days from when we receive the item(s).
What should I do if my plant arrives in poor shape?
What should I do if my plant arrives in poor shape?
In the extremely unlikely event that your plant arrives in less than perfect condition, you're covered by our 15-day plant health guarantee. Simply snap a photo of your plant and send it over to us. We'll happily take a peek and offer suggestions on how to perk it back up, offer a store credit, or send a replacement. We like to make it as easy as possible!
Can I return or exchange a plant?
Can I return or exchange a plant?
At this time, we do not accept returns on plants. In extreme circumstances where a return of a plant is necessary, the customer is responsible for the return shipping and a refund will only be issued if the plant arrives back to us in living condition.