African Violet (Saintpaulia)

The African violet may just be the perfect houseplant. It blooms all year-round. And it's easy to multiply and share with others.
The popularity of the African violet is largely due to its ability to thrive indoors. Of tropical origin, it appreciates the year-round warmth of centrally heated homes; its thick, hairy leaves are quite resistant to indoor dry air.  It can also cope with less light than most other flowering plants, although bright, even illumination remains the primary key to successful flowering. Though the plant needs bright light, too much direct sun can harm it. From late spring through early fall, look for a spot that gets bright light most of the day with little full sun in the afternoon. In winter, move the plant to an east window, or a metre or so back from a southern or western one to avoid direct sun. Let the plant tell you what it needs: long, stretching petioles and leaves that bend toward the sun, or lack of bloom indicate insufficient light, while dense, compact, hard growth with bleached-out leaves tells you the plant is getting too much light.