Houseplants are having a moment. And African violets are everywhere in local nurseries and giving monstera (Monstera deliciosa) a run for its money. With the resurgence in the African violet’s popularity, it’s a great time to revisit Wendy Diaz’s article to learn more about their history, characteristics, and care needs. Plants often play a significant role in intergenerational relationships and familial memories, as Wendy’s piece illustrates.

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By Wendy Diaz, EMGV

Very few houseplants exist in my home. My gardening efforts are concentrated outdoors in our temperate climate; but there is one houseplant, no matter where I live, that I always like to have for both aesthetic and nostalgic reasons, and that is the African violet (Saintpaulia ionantha). My mother and her mother always had them sitting on a table next to a sunny window in small pots with saucers, so I feel I should carry on the tradition. Several years ago, my mother repotted my current African violet plant during her last visit to my home. I have a great spot for it in front of my westerly facing window, and every year it sprouts new crown growth, which I divide, repot and give away. It takes very little care. If they have the perfect growing conditions, African violets can flower almost continuously.^[1] Extensive care guides are available from the Missouri Botanical Garden ^[2] and the African Violet Society of America^[3] but I will summarize the basics for you in this little post.

History

The African violet is native to the mountains of Tanzania and Kenya (Eastern Africa). Despite its occurrence in homes worldwide it is now only believed to grow wild in the Amani Nature reserve in Tanzania^[4]. The flower of the original species typically has 5 petals and ranged from pale blue to lavender in color. In 1892, the plant was officially discovered by Baron Walter von Saint Paul Illaire, serving as the imperial district governor of Tanginyika, who sent seeds back to his father in Germany. His father took the plant to the Royal Botanical Garden director and botanist, Hermann Wendland, who gave it the botanical name Saintpaulia ionantha. The genus is named after the Baron and the species is named for the Greek word ‘resembling a violet’, referencing its flower. Two British botanists discovered the plant previously and took it to Kew Gardens to be recognized, but the plants were in such poor condition that they could not be scientifically classified⁴.

A New York florist introduced the plant in 1894 but the drafty homes of the time meant the plants died when they were chilled and they gained a finicky reputation. With the advent of fluorescent lighting, better understanding of their required growing conditions, and the development of a wide variety of flower colors, foliage and sizes, African violets became a more popular houseplant². The first African Violet Show was held in Atlanta in 1946 and the 76th annual African Violet Show, organized by the African Violet Society of America, was held in May of 2022.^[5]

Description

African violets are low compact plants that typically grow in a rosette form with thick hairy green leaves and stems with velvety- purple flowers usually having 5 petals (two smaller petals at the top and three larger petals on the bottom) and yellow centers. The flowers emerge in small panicles (multi-branched) above the foliage. There are now a wide variety of cultivars that vary in size from micro-miniature (less than 3 inches across) to the large variety that can be more than 16 inches wide. My African violet is the standard variety and currently measures 14 inches wide and from the crown to top of flowers is 6 inches high. Various foliage types have also been developed, for example, leaves with wavy leaf edges, variegation or trailing habits.  Flower types can be single blossom or double (10 petals) and multi-colored petals like white, pink, crimson and even yellow. Over 3000 photos displaying the diversity of African violet cultivars can be viewed in the photo gallery of the African Violet Society of American website.^[6]

Standard size African violet. Photo taken of rosette on February 28, 2021; thick green hairy leaves photo taken February 14, 2021 and close up of five petal purple flowers photo taken on February 10, 2021. (Image credit: Wendy Diaz)

Care

Because their natural habitat is tropical in moist and shaded conditions on steep rock crevices near streams, the African violet thrives indoors with humidity of 50 to 60%, in moist but well-drained soil in small shallow pots next to a sunny window, but not in direct sunlight. My westerly facing high-efficiency window appears to be ideal for my African violet all year but you may have to move your African violet from a south-facing window in the summer months. It likes acidic soil with good aeration (25%). You can buy specifically prepared soilless mix to grow your African violet, but I have been successful with just potting soil, taking care not to overwater and an occasional application of fertilizer to keep the flowers coming (1/8 teaspoon 20-20-20 fertilizer per gallon of water). Homemade soil mixtures should contain 3 parts sphagnum peat moss, 2 parts vermiculite, and 1 part perlite and care should be given to position the crown of the plant just above the soil surface¹. 

African violets can flower almost continuously if their growing conditions are similar to the original habitat of wild African violets. (Left to right) In winter on February 10, 2021, in the fall on October 25, 2020 (pink dahlia and white muhly grass flowering outside in the background) and in the spring on April 25, 2018. (Image credit: Wendy Diaz)

The ideal pot should be smaller than the mature plant (they flower better if the roots are a little cramped; think crevice) and shallow (roots spread outward than down). In North Carolina if you don’t have your AC unit on high there should be enough humidity for the plants to thrive.

Water the roots, not the plant, and keep the foliage dry. There are self-watering African violet pots available to help make sure the plants get proper moisture and humidity but I have had success with a small clay pot placed on a dish. About once a week, when the soil feels dry to the touch, I gently part the leaves and pour room-temperature water from a narrow-spout watering can, directly to the soil making sure water spreads over the entire soil surface. I discard the excess water that drains into the dish making sure the pot does not sit in a dish of water for long. If you can remember and desire to maintain a symmetrical rosette form you can turn your plant a quarter-turn weekly. Occasionally, I snip off dead outside leaves at the base of the plant and pick off spent flowers. Each row of leaves produces a set of flowers only once.

The most common problems are cold temperatures (they need between 60 and 80 degrees F), not enough light for flowering to occur (position within 24 inches of a window), or crown rot due to overwatering. If you notice spotting on the leaves it is probably because you splashed cold water on them. If the plant develops long stems they need more light or if they lose their green color the plant needs less light (bleaching has occurred).

If you have a sunny window facing south, east or west and a small pot and saucer you can easily grow an African violet. I recommend the African violet for a continuous flowering houseplant that will brighten your home, even in winter, and who knows you may inspire a new generation of African violet enthusiast or create your own southern tradition of a ‘passalong’ African violet.

In memory of my mother, Marion Millar (1930 to 2020) who introduced to me to gardening and African violets.

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Notes

^[1]http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=280890&isprofile=1&adv=African%20violethttp://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=b567

^[2]https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/Portals/0/Gardening/Gardening%20Help/Factsheets/African%20Violets2.pdf

^[3] https://africanvioletsocietyofamerica.org/learn/violets-101/

^[4] http://www.flowers.org.uk/plants/plants-by-name/a-c/african-violet/

^[5] https://africanvioletsocietyofamerica.org/next-convention

^[6] https://africanvioletsocietyofamerica.org/look/photo-gallery/

Resources and Additional Information

Both North Carolina State University and University of Georgia Extension have excellent online resources on growing African violets.

https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/streptocarpus-ionanthus/

https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=C660

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By Melinda Heigel, EMGV

There’s a popular saying that weeds are just plants in the wrong place. And to be sure some plants we think of as unsightly weeds serve important roles in the environment. One that immediately comes to mind is the much-maligned dandelion, whose yellow flowers are early-season food sources for pollinators. But one weed that plagues many home gardeners’ lawns is starting to make its yearly appearance: annual bluegrass (Poa annua).

Annual bluegrass–not to be confused with Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis), a perennial grass which is the second most widely grown cool-season grass in NC lawns– is a winter weed, bright green-to-chartreuse in color, finely textured, and with a clumping habit. The blade of this grass is identifiable by what many turf experts call its “boat-shaped” and pointed tip. When annual bluegrass infests lawns, it shows up prominently in a stand of fescue due to its color. And if you have warm season grass like zoysia or Bermuda, it’s even more evident because this time of year, it’s a burst of color in what otherwise is now a sea of brown. This annual weed is considered one of the most aggressive weeds around. It thrives in all sorts of soils and conditions, but it can often be an indicator of compacted and poorly-drained soil.

(Left to right) Detail of the folded boat-like tip of the weed’s blade. Annual bluegrass evident in a fescue lawn. Note the difference in color, density, and texture. (Image credit: Michigan State University and M. Heigel)

In terms of its overall life cycle, annual bluegrass geminates in North Carolina in the fall, typically in September through October, although some additional germination may occur in the spring. If your lawn is made up of cool-season grass, it’s still green and growing in the fall, so you may not notice this small weed as it emerges. However, in the late winter and early spring, annual bluegrass gets more sunlight as days lengthen, grows rapidly, flowers, disperses seeds and dies just as the warm weather arrives beginning in May. By summer, this weed seems to simply disappear. But wait…. Annual bluegrass is prolific; as each plant flowers in the spring, its flower heads can produce upwards of several hundred weed seeds in one season–remember that’s per plant. Those seeds can lay dormant in the ground for years making this one of the toughest annual weeds to control.

While it sounds dire, rest assured that there are means that gardeners can employ to control annual bluegrass in their lawns, and using these measures in concert with one another (a practice called Integrated Pest Management), will often lead to the best results. ¹

Manual practices–Gardeners may have mixed results by pulling or digging up this weed. If you catch annual bluegrass early in its life cycle, especially when there are solitary plants, manual extraction can be helpful. Gardeners must weed frequently and diligently. But if seed production and sewing has begun by the time gardeners realize this plant is colonizing, it might be too late to make a huge impact by hand weeding as your main method of control.² Note that in some cases, annual bluegrass can also take root in landscape beds. Here, it’s often easier to spot and hand pull early before a larger problem develops. Mulching in landscape beds to cover bare soil can also aid in weed suppression.

Cultural practices–As mentioned above, some conditions in the lawn and landscape are more favorable to annual bluegrass than others, namely compacted soil and poor drainage. Two ways to combat these conditions and potentially make you lawn less desirable for this weed are to regularly aerate your lawn and address any areas where you may have drainage problems.

The most important tool gardeners have in their toolbox to combat annual bluegrass infestation is to keep existing turf grass as dense and healthy as possible. If this sounds too simple, consider one of the major biological needs of Poa annua or any weedy plant that might try to set up housekeeping in a lawn: sunlight. According to NC State Extension Specialist Dr. Fred Yelverton, “Soil shading is the best defense against annual bluegrass.” ³ Put another way, the fuller your lawn is with healthy turf grass, the less likely it is for sunlight to penetrate the turf grass cover and reach germinating weed seeds.

Here is where the fundamentals of lawn maintenance really come into play: proper selection of turf for your site, proper fertilization and amendments based on a recent soil test,⁴ proper mowing frequency and height, pest control, seeding when appropriate, irrigation, and core aeration are all essential to controlling unwanted weed infestations. Home gardeners may take for granted these steps, but it might be a good time for a review of science-based information on how to maintain a lawn. One of the best guides for both cool-season grasses and warm-season turf is North Carolina State University’s online resource “Carolina Lawns: A Guide to Maintaining Quality Turf in the Landscape.” Find it online here: https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/carolina-lawns.

Re-seeding or sodding bare patches with desired turf varieties as well as over-seeding for lawn renovation are excellent cultural controls for weed encroachment. Warm-season grasses need attention when they are actively growing and cool-season turf rejuvenation is most successful in the fall once heat stress from hot summer temperatures has abated.

Chemical controls–Pre-and-post emergent herbicides can also offer a measure of control for knocking down annual bluegrass infestations and as part of a multi-pronged approach to management. However, it’s important to note that the repeated and widespread use of these products as the sole means of control has lead to herbicide resistance. This resistance has even been shown with non-selective glyphosate in some trials. According to Auburn University’s Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences, annual bluegrass ranks third among all weeds for its strong herbicide resistance.⁵ Moreover, some herbicides are not safe to use on all varieties of turf grass. If home gardeners wish to use chemical controls, growing herbicide resistance means that they should do thorough homework and consult up-to-date credible sources like NCSU’s Turf Files for the most recent science on currently effective pre-and-post emergent agents for annual bluegrass. Likewise, home gardeners should consult the NC Agricultural Chemicals Manual (see the online version at https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/north-carolina-agricultural-chemicals-manual) and thoroughly read all labels on all products they may use.

If looking to both employ chemical controls and rejuvenate the lawn to combat this weed, note that timing is paramount. Pre-emergent agents are not selective in nature, so if you are looking to re-seed any cool-season grasses like tall fescue or a Kentucky bluegrass mix in the fall, these herbicides can prevent your desired seed from growing. Some experts advise gardeners wait up to six months before applying pre-emergents to new grass.

Lawn Alternatives

To be sure, turf grass has environmental benefits, including carbon sequestration, erosion control, and even a cooling effect in the time of rising temperatures. It’s important for recreation around your home and, if gardeners live in a community with a home owners’ association, maintaining certain lawn standards may be required. But with the example of managing an annual bluegrass infestation, lawns can be expensive, require the use of chemicals, demand water resources, and require a lot of upkeep. Here are some thoughts on ways to simplify your lawn routine and potentially keep annual bluegrass under control.

• Extend your tree, shrub, and flower garden beds and simply reduce the size of your lawn. This can be helpful in areas where you find turf grass maintenance hard such as under trees, in tight spaces, or narrow strips.
• Consider turning your turf into a pollinator lawn, which is a mixture of traditional turf grass and other flowering plants like Dutch clover (Trifolium repens), dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), and lanceleaf tickweed (Corespsis lanceolata). Blending tall fescue with low-growing mini and micro clovers is also a trend. This diversity in your lawn helps nourish pollinators while providing a similar-looking backdrop as a monoculture of turf grass.
• In shady spots in the lawn with bare patches, try planting a “green” ground cover that can compete with and suppress weeds like annual bluegrass. Some shade-loving ground covers include dwarf mondo grass (Ophiopogon japonicus), foam flowers (Tiarella cordifolia), green and gold (Chrysogonum virginianum), and shade-tolerant sedges (Carex spp.)
• Chronically wet areas in the lawn are especially susceptible to annual bluegrass. In place of grass, other options include rain lilies (Zephyranthes candida), common rush (Juncus effusus), or sweet flag (Acorus spp.)

Don’t get the blues when you see annual bluegrass flowering. Take an integrated and educated approach with the information above to control this hard-to-control weed.

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Notes

1–Keep in mind that the goal of eliminating all weeds, especially in your lawn is not realistic. Managing weed populations in your lawn and landscape is an obtainable goal.

2–Many experts classify hand weeding as a temporary means of weed control. When weeding, try and leave the soil as undisturbed as possible. By turning up soil, gardeners are likely bringing dormant weed seeds to the surface and giving them a chance to germinate. Hand pulling when the ground is moist makes for easier work and less soil disturbance.

3–https://turfpathology.ces.ncsu.edu/2019/04/annual-bluegrass-poa-annua-spring-invasion/

4– For information on soil testing, see https://gardening.ces.ncsu.edu/soils/soil-testing/

5–https://ocm.auburn.edu/newsroom/news_articles/2018/12/140932-poa-turfgrass-weed.php

Resources and Additional Information

North Carolina State University has several online resources on annual bluegrass. Below are links to learn more.

https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/poa-annua/

https://www.turffiles.ncsu.edu/2019/04/annual-bluegrass-poa-annua-spring-invasion/

https://www.turffiles.ncsu.edu/weeds-in-turf/annual-bluegrass/

For more information on reducing, diversifying, or replacing your lawn, Iowa State University Extension and NC Cooperative Extension have some informative articles full of additional research-based online resources.

https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/lawn-alternatives-turfgrass (with a link to how to create a pollinator-friendly lawn)

https://forsyth.ces.ncsu.edu/2022/02/lawn-alternatives-2/

https://chatham.ces.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Sustainable-Lawns-and-Lawn-Alternatives-EG-2019-short.pdf?fwd=no ( a great powerpoint presentation on sustainable lawns and lawn alternatives)

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