The African Violet, as its name suggests, comes from Africa. The African Violet gained much popularity in Germany, and it soon spread across Europe until was introduced to North America in 1926. The type brought in had blue blooms with single, pansy-shaped blossoms. Today, African Violet cultivars total over 2000 and are available with flower in colours ranging from white, to pink, violet, yellow, and of course, blue.

African Violets are one of those plant that require more tender loving care than the average houseplant. Avoid getting water droplets on the leaves as this will cause stains. Some people stand their plants above a bowl of water to increase its humidity - this should not be necessary if you are living in the tropics. African Violets need light intensity of at least 5000 lux to develop flower buds as well as a long day. For this reason, and especially in temperate climate, the plants are more likely to flower in summer.

As mentioned above, the plant hates water getting on its leaves. Also, African Violet don't tolerate hard water, so if you are living in a hard water area, stay away from watering direct from the tap. Keep the soil slightly on the dry side. Excess moisture causes rot. On the other hand, it is also sensitive to dryness, so water when the soil feels dry to the touch, but before it hardens.

When they are in active growth, the African Violet must be fed once a month. If the plant refuses to flower, use nitrogen-free fertiliser, like those for cacti. This should be done about once a year, in spring, using lime-free compost and wide, shallow pots with good drainage.  African Violets are usually grown from cuttings. Cut a leaf with 2 to 5 cm of stalk, and insert into cutting compost, keeping the temperature at 20°C.