Streptocarpus ionanthus purple flowers
Saintpaulia ionantha white and purple flowers
Saintpaulia purple flowers
Saintpaulia serrated pink flowers
Saintpaulia Streptocarpus ionanthus bicolor flowers white violet
Contents
Find all our tips in the Monstera application
Streptocarpus ionanthus, Saintpaulia
Contents
Find all our tips in the Monstera application
Saintpaulia's small flowers may be very familiar to us, but it's actually an exotic plant. Streptocarpus ionanthus grows on the other side of the world, in the mountains of Kenya and Tanzania. Also known as Cape Violet or African Violet, this member of the Gesneriaceae family has become a classic houseplant.
How to recognize Saintpaulia, Streptocarpus ionanthus?
Saintpaulia is a lithophytic perennial. Smaller than its cousin, cape Primrose, it measures ten to forty centimetres in height and 20 centimetres in diameter. Its growth habit is dense and bushy.
Streptocarpus ionanthus is aculeate. It has no visible main stem. It is a rosette of leaves from which cylindrical, hairy petioles emerge.
The thick, fleshy, oval leaves persist from January to December. Dark green with purple undersides. They have pronounced veins and wavy margins. A fine white down covers the foliage.
Saintpaulia flowers almost all year round, even when grown indoors. The trumpet-shaped flowers appear on a 15-centimeter flowering spike. They usually consist of five irregular petals and bright yellow stamens.
Flower color depends on the variety. The botanical Streptocarpus ionanthus has violet-blue flowers. But there are hybrids with pink, white, violet, blue or red flowers. In some cultivars, the leaves are even bicolored!
Fruits are tendril-shaped pods. They contain a multitude of very fine seeds.
Saintpaulia is not toxic to the touch or if swallowed. It is harmless to animals and humans.
Our maintenance tips
You don't have to do anything to make your Saintpaulia bloom again. However, if the plant stops producing flowers, give it a rest. For three weeks at the end of winter, place it in a room with a temperature of around 16°C and reduce the frequency of watering.
Watering
Saintpaulia like to keep their soil cool, but not soggy. Water generously to soak the root ball, then leave to dry on the surface for a centimeter or two.
Pour the water at the base of the plant, avoiding wetting the foliage. You can also water by capillary action. This way, you can be sure that the leaves will stay dry. Place your Saintpaulia and its pot in a larger container filled with water. Wait thirty minutes. Once the substrate is saturated with water, remove the plant, drain and replace the pot.
Roots are fragile. To avoid damaging them, always water at room temperature. Preferably use recycled rainwater.
Finally, don't let water stagnate in the saucer or planter. It will rot the roots.
Spray
The foliage of your Saintpaulia is covered with a fine down. You must not get it wet. Fogging is therefore strongly discouraged.
Repotting
In spring, transfer your Streptocarpus ionanthus to a larger pot, so that it can continue to grow.
Get yourself a pierced pot, preferably plastic. Indeed, saintpaulia do not tolerate the accumulation of mineral salts. With a plastic or porcelain container, they'll drain more easily than with a terracotta model.
Fill the bottom of the pot with potting soil for flowering plants or green plants. Then plant your Saintpaulia and add substrate. Tamp the soil lightly and water for the first time.
You can place your pot on a dish filled with moist clay balls to improve humidity.
Fertilization
You can stimulate the development of your plant during its growth phase, in spring and summer, with fertilizer.
Saintpaulia are greedy plants. Feed them with a flowering plant fertilizer to support their growth.
Prune
To encourage the growth of your Saintpaulia, prune regularly.
Remove wilted stems, leaves and flowers. They can rot your Saintpaulia.
Cutting
You can take cuttings all year round.
Using a clean, sharp tool, cut off a leaf with its petiole. Choose a healthy leaf, preferably close to the flowers.
Line a plastic bucket with potting soil for seedlings and plantations.
Make a pilot hole with a pen or your finger. Plant the petiole of your leaf in the soil. Press lightly and water.
Cuttings take better if they've been suffocated. Place the pot in a mini greenhouse. You can also cover the leaf with a glass or enclose your pot in a translucent bag.
Place your cutting next to a window so that it gets as much light as possible.
Diseases / Threats
Information
| Family | Gesneriaceae - Gesneriaceae |
| Type | Streptocarpus - Streptocarpus |
| Species | Saintpaulia - Streptocarpus ionanthus |
| Lifecycle | Perennial |
| Foliage | Evergreen |
| Exposure | |
| Substrat | |
| Planting methods |
In pots Planter |
| Categories | |
| Tags |
Beginner Flowery Fritillary |
| Origin |
East Africa |
| Hardiness (USDA) | 11b |
| Leaf color |
|
| Flower colors |
|
Discover plants from the same family
