The Violet Aurelia is a popular cultivar of the African Violet (Saintpaulia genus). This small, flowering houseplant is prized for its symmetrical rosette of fuzzy, deep green leaves and its propensity for year-round blooms in shades of purple, pink, or white. While its compact size makes it a perfect indoor companion, the Violet Aurelia is more sensitive to environmental fluctuations and specific care routines than many other common houseplants. Successful cultivation requires mimicking the filtered light, warmth, and humidity of its native East African habitat.
Establishing the Ideal Environment
The placement of your Violet Aurelia is important for ensuring its long-term health and prolific blooming. The plant requires bright, consistent light but must be shielded from direct sun exposure, which can quickly scorch its velvety leaves. An east or north-facing window offers the ideal balance of morning brightness or gentle, all-day light without damaging heat.
Artificial grow lights provide reliable conditions for continuous flowering. The plant needs 10 to 14 hours of light daily, with fluorescent or LED bulbs positioned 12 to 15 inches above the leaf canopy. Insufficient light results in dark, elongated leaves and sparse blooms, while excessive light causes leaves to turn pale green or develop brown, necrotic spots.
Maintaining a stable temperature is important, as the plant thrives in conditions comfortable for humans. The ideal range is 65°F to 75°F; temperatures consistently below 60°F are harmful. Avoid positioning the plant near cold windowpanes, exterior doors, or air conditioning vents, as sudden drafts can cause significant stress.
High ambient humidity is preferred, mimicking the moist air of the rainforest understory. A humidity level of 40% to 60% is sufficient for indoor growth. Placing the pot on a saucer filled with pebbles and a small amount of water, ensuring the pot base does not touch the water, is an effective method to create a humid microclimate around the plant.
Routine Maintenance and Nourishment
Proper watering is crucial, as the plant is susceptible to rot but cannot tolerate drying out completely. Water the Violet Aurelia only when the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch, using room-temperature water to prevent shocking the roots or causing white rings on the leaves. Bottom-watering is the preferred method: place the pot in a shallow dish of water for about 30 minutes, allowing the soil to wick up moisture through the drainage holes.
This bottom-up approach prevents water from settling on the sensitive crown and leaves, which can lead to fungal diseases and crown rot. If watering from the top, use a long-spouted can to direct the flow only onto the soil surface, avoiding the foliage. It is important to discard any excess water that remains in the saucer after the soil has absorbed its fill, ensuring the plant never sits in stagnant moisture.
Regular feeding supports the Violet Aurelia’s ability to bloom year-round, requiring a consistent supply of nutrients. Use a water-soluble fertilizer formulated specifically for African Violets, often featuring a balanced NPK ratio (e.g., 20-20-20) or a slightly higher phosphorus ratio to encourage flowering. Dilute the recommended strength to one-quarter or one-eighth and apply it with every watering during the active growth period.
Flush the soil with plain, room-temperature water every four to six weeks to prevent the buildup of mineral salts. This process involves thoroughly watering the plant from the top until water drains freely from the bottom, effectively washing away accumulated residue that can damage roots. The potting medium should be light, porous, and well-aerated, ideally a specialized African Violet mix that includes peat moss, perlite, and vermiculite for drainage and moisture retention.
African Violets prefer to be slightly constrained. Repotting should occur only when the plant is clearly outgrowing its container, usually every one to two years. The pot size should be small relative to the plant’s diameter, with the pot rim measuring about one-third the width of the leaf span. When repotting, use the same size pot or move up only one size, gently removing old soil and ensuring the plant’s crown remains level with the soil surface to prevent rot.
Addressing Common Issues
The Violet Aurelia can encounter pests and diseases. One challenging pest is the cyclamen mite, a microscopic arachnid that feeds on new growth, causing center leaves to become tightly curled, brittle, and gray. Since these mites are nearly invisible and highly destructive, the entire plant often needs to be discarded to prevent the infestation from spreading to other specimens.
Another common pest is the mealybug, a small, white, cottony insect found clustered in leaf axils or on the undersides of leaves. Treat localized infestations by gently touching each insect with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol, which dissolves their protective coating. Fungal issues like crown rot result from consistently over-saturated soil or water collecting on the crown, causing the central stem tissue to soften and turn brown.
Powdery mildew appears as a grayish-white, dusty coating on the leaves and flower stems, often forming when high humidity combines with poor air circulation. Increasing airflow and briefly reducing humidity helps control this fungus. Immediate removal of all affected leaves and flowers is important for controlling both fungal issues and pest outbreaks, minimizing the spread of damage.
Expanding Your Collection
Propagating the Violet Aurelia is most commonly achieved through leaf cuttings. Select a healthy, medium-sized leaf from the middle row of the mother plant, avoiding the oldest outer leaves and the newest inner ones. Use a clean, sharp blade to cut the leaf’s petiole (stem) at a 45-degree angle, leaving the stem about three-quarters of an inch long.
The prepared cutting can be rooted directly into a sterile, moist medium, such as a mix of perlite and vermiculite or a specialized African Violet starting mix. Insert the cut end of the petiole shallowly into the medium, ensuring the leaf blade remains above the surface. Place the pot under a clear plastic dome or bag to maintain high humidity. Alternatively, root the cutting in a small container of water, submerging only the cut end of the petiole, and repot once roots are about an inch long.
New plantlets will begin to form at the base of the petiole after several weeks to a few months. Once these plantlets have developed at least two to three leaves, they can be carefully separated from the mother leaf and potted individually into small containers. Division is a secondary propagation method suited for older plants that have developed multiple growing crowns. Carefully separate the crowns, ensuring each section has its own root system, and repot them into fresh soil.