African Violet Plants - Grandma’s Easy to Grow Color

My mother has an African Violet sitting on her kitchen window sill probably 40 years old - maybe one day I’ll inherit this houseplant, does this make it an heirloom plant?

When I first started working at a nursery in my teens learning about and playing with orchids, anthuriums and other tropical house plants, the person I worked for had a few African violets sitting on the window sill in the kitchen. I liked the fact that the plant always had flowers.

His wife gave me my own violet to “care for.” I had to water, fertilize, repot, handle any pest issues and basically learn how to grow and care for this plant. My goal was to grow a better looking plant then the boss - and I did!

As I think back about growing that African Violet, I now understand what my boss was teaching me. It was simply plant care. It came down the learning, understanding and adapting the growing the needs of that plant to the environment and conditions available.

Maybe you have memories of someone in your family who cherished their African Violets and they were such a part of their live.

Go pick one up and start learning how to care for them. They’re great teachers. Then move on to other plants and start a plant legacy.