African violets are so pretty that they have become among the most popular flowering houseplants. Many people say that they’re some of the best flowering houseplants to give to beginners.
Have you been looking into getting some African violets as of late? Perhaps you’re curious about some of the benefits of keeping these gorgeous little plants.
Continue reading to learn a lot about the positive qualities of African violets. Anyone who is on the fence about buying these plants will have an easier time deciding after reading all of the information.
It might help you to appreciate African violets even more. You’ll discover that these plants are so popular for good reasons.
1 – They’re Easy to Care For
Overall, these plants are simple to take care of. If you’re new to caring for houseplants, you won’t have too much trouble with African violets.
You simply need to take care of the basics. Ensure that the plant gets enough sunlight and water the plant as necessary.
Later, you’ll learn a bit more about this. For now, just know that these plants are good flowering houseplants for beginners.
2 – African Violets Produce Beautiful Blooms
One of the best benefits of owning African violets is that they produce beautiful blooms. The violet blooms look great and will surely stand out in your home.
There are many different types of African violets as well. You can find versions of the plant that produce blooms that are pink, white, blue, red, or indigo.
The variety that you can enjoy by choosing different plants will surely please you. These are good plants that will look stunning in your home or office.
3 – They Stay Gorgeous All Year
Another great aspect of caring for African violets is that they stay gorgeous all year. When you care for these plants well, they can bloom all year.
So you can enjoy colorful flowers even during the coldest days of winter. Of course, you must ensure that the plant stays warm enough in your home and that it gets enough sunlight to keep blooming.
This is very easy to achieve no matter where you live. Many people say that keeping African violets in their homes helps them to feel happier during the winter.
4 – They’re Not Toxic to Pets
If you own cats or dogs, you’ll be glad to hear that African violets are safe for them. Should an accident occur and your pets gobble up portions of an African violet plant, they won’t get hurt.
Some plants are toxic to pets and will make them very sick. For example, pets get sick when eating philodendrons and pothos plants.
This isn’t the case with African violets. You don’t want your pets to eat your African violets, though, so it’s still best to put them somewhere safe.
5 – It’s Easy to Propagate These Plants
Propagating African violets is easy. So you can make more African violet plants through propagation if you’re so inclined.
Many people do this when trimming the plants so they can enjoy even more houseplants. It could even be a good gift to create a new African violet plant and give it to a friend or family member.
Propagation is simple and can be done by rooting stems in soil. You want to cut a stem that’s healthy and has a mature leaf system to get the best results.
6 – Watering African Violets Is Simple
It is indeed possible to water these plants too much or too little. You can potentially kill the plant by watering it improperly.
However, it’s easy enough to learn how to water these plants right. To get things right, you just need to touch the soil before watering it.
Touch the soil with your fingers to feel if it’s dry. When the soil is dry, you’re going to want to water the plant from the bottom.
Most people let the plant soak up water from the bottom by placing the pot in a shallow water dish. You let the plant soak up water for no longer than thirty minutes like this.
Always touch the soil to see its condition before moving forward. You have to allow it to dry out, or you will put the plant in danger.
7 – They Can Bloom Without Too Much Sunlight
You also don’t need a lot of sunlight to get these plants to bloom. African violets can do okay in relatively modest amounts of sunlight.
Bright sunlight is good for African violets, but they need indirect sunlight. Too much direct sunlight can easily scorch these plants.
You do need to make sure that this plant gets enough sunlight, though. So try to provide it with an environment where it will receive bright light that isn’t too harsh.
It’s easy enough to keep these plants in homes that don’t have bright windows. You can use artificial lighting to give the African violets the light that they need to bloom.
8 – They’re Small
Perhaps one of the most appealing aspects of owning African violets is that these plants are small. Since they’re small plants that can be kept in modestly-sized pots, they’re good fits for many environments.
You can keep African violets in your office. Even if you simply have a cubicle, it’s practical to keep African violets there.
These plants are perfect for small apartments and other areas that don’t have an abundance of space. Not everyone has room for huge sprawling houseplants, after all.
9 – African Violets Are Easy to Find
You don’t need to search hard to find African violets. They’re sold in garden centers and nurseries around North America.
These are common plants that are sold at all times of the year. It’s easy to track them down, and you won’t need to spend much money.
Once you have one plant, you can simply make more using the propagation method that was briefly touched upon above. So it’s a simple plant that you can buy when you’re looking to start a houseplant collection.
Are African Violets Right For You?
Now that you know more about African violets, you can decide if they’re right for you. Many people love these houseplants, and you likely will, too, if you choose to buy them.
You can buy one or two African violet plants to get started. Find a spot in your home where they can receive bright indirect sunlight, and you’ll be off to a great start.
Water the plants carefully by touching the soil to make sure that it has dried out. It’s wise to check the soil once per week to see if the plant needs to be watered, but sometimes it won’t need to be watered as often.
These plants work well for office environments and small apartments. If you don’t have much space for houseplants, you’ll be pleased with these nice little plants.
There are so many reasons why African violets should be appealing to you. You’ll likely love them if you want to own colorful houseplants that are fairly simple to care for.
Growing up with a mom who filled her home (inside and out) with all sorts of plants, Lisa got her start in gardening at a young age. Living now on her own with a home and yard full of plants (including an indoor greenhouse), she shares all the gardening tips she’s gained over the years.