To root leaves in water you will need a rooting container to hold water and a means of suspending the leaf above the water while the stem remains in the water. We like to use small, colored glass bottles (colored glass slows the growth of algae) and aluminum foil. Cheap and easy.

First, choose a healthy, firm leaf from one of the middle rows of the parent plant. Make sure you choose a leaf with a long enough stem (petiole), preferably 1-1/2 to 2 inches long. Cut the tip of the petiole at an angle with a sharp blade.

   

Fill the rooting jar with water to just below the rim and cover with aluminum foil. Poke a hole in the foil large enough for the leaf stem. Large leaves or longifolia leaves may require additional support. If you will be using leaf supports, such as coffee stirrers or plastic plant tags, you’ll need to make openings for them as well.

   

An alternative to using additional leaf supports is to create support from the aluminum foil covering the rooting jar:

Monitor the water level in the rooting jar daily to make sure the stem is sufficiently covered. Plantlets should begin to grow and become visible along the stem within a few weeks.

This is a leaf of African violet ‘Cherry Dots’ showing several babies growing from the stem after approximately 3 months in water.

   

For wick watering you will need:

• a small plastic flower pot or other planter with a hole in the bottom (shown: 3oz Solo® bathroom cup)
• a nylon wick about 7 in. in length (we use fine gauge nylon cord – similar to the cord used in mini blinds – which can be purchased by the yard from any hardware store)
• medium-grade perlite
• a reservoir to hold water and nutrients (shown: small Ziploc® container with hole in lid)

Some considerations in choosing your materials: A nylon or acrylic wick won’t rot in water as will wool yarn or cotton cord; Opaque containers inhibit the growth of algae which, although unsightly, is essentially harmless but can prevent the wicking action over time if not removed.

   

Propagating African Violets in Perlite

Prepare your leaves the same way as if you were about to plant them in potting soil. Pull the wick through the bottom of the plastic cup to just above the rim (leaving about 4 inches of wick trailing out from the bottom of the cup). Fill the cup with a layer of perlite about an inch to 1-1/2″ deep and curl the wick around the surface. Place the leaf in the cup resting against the rim and fill the cup with perlite to just below the bottom of the leaf. Top-water thoroughly and check that the water drains completely and flows down the wick. Label the cup with the leaf variety and date, if desired, and place on the wicking container with the wick inserted into the reservoir.

      

Place the leaves under lights or in bright indirect light and check periodically to make sure that the wicks are working (keeping the perlite moist) and that the water in the reservoir hasn’t evaporated. You should see plantlets in anywhere from 4 to 8 weeks or longer. Transplant when the plantlets are large enough to handle comfortably.

      

African violets are generally very easy to grow from leaf regardless of the method used. We say “generally” because different methods work better for different people depending upon many variables. Additionally, certain varieties, and some individual plants, are slower to produce plantlets or “babies” than others. Outlined here are a couple of methods that have worked quickly and easily for us in varying environments and should work well for most people.

First, regardless of the planting method, you’ll want to choose a healthy leaf from the parent, or donor, plant. Ideally, the leaf should be firm, undamaged, and have a long enough petiole (leaf stem) for planting. Older leaves are slower to produce plantlets so it’s best to avoid taking a leaf from the outer rows. A good guideline is to choose a leaf from about the third row from the center (crown) of the African violet plant.

Cut the leaf stem at an angle with a razor blade or similarly sharp blade leaving at least one inch of stem from leaf base to end. (A longer stem is easier to work with if you will be planting in plugs or on wicks.) The angled cut allows for greater surface area (and greater number of plant cells) exposed to the growing medium. Using very sharp blade decreases the amount of damage done to cells when slicing through the stem.

Planting Leaves in Soil, Peat or other Soilless Mix

If planting leaves in potting soil or soiless mix make sure the mix is well-moistened and drains easily. Add perlite to potting mix to lighten it since most commercially available potting mixes are too heavy for African violets (even those claiming to be for African violets.) Place the cut leaf or leaves into the mix about an inch down and cover the stem. It’s best not to let the leaf itself touch the surface of the medium as this can lead to rot. You can rest the leaf in an upright position against the side of the propagation tray or prop the leaf up with a plastic plant tag.

If planting several leaves in a tray space them a couple of inches apart and be sure to label them. If you have a humid growing environment you don’t need to cover the leaves or use a dome, but you may find it helpful if your environment is very dry and your mix dries out too quickly. Place the tray under fluorescent lights (8 to 12 inches from the tubes for 8 to 14 hours a day, depending upon your lighting and your growing environment) or in a brightly lit window but not in direct sunlight. Check the medium daily to make sure it doesn’t dry out and water from the bottom when necessary.

Plantlets will begin to show from as early as 4 weeks but usually take 8 weeks or longer. Transplant when the plantlets are large enough to handle comfortably.

Planting Leaf Cuttings in Peat Plugs

Peat plugs are great for planting African violet leaves. Moisten and drain the plugs and prepare your leaves as above. If you are propagating large varieties with thick stems you can place your cut leaves directly into the pre-drilled holes in the plugs as long as the cut in the stem is in constant contact with the peat. If the pre-drilled holes are too large you can simply create a new hole right next to the pre-drilled hole using a pencil. If you are propagating regular standard sized African violets, or semi-miniatures or miniatures, small peat plugs are a better choice as the leaf stems will fit well in the pre-drilled holes.

(click to enlarge)

Anthoflores descriptions are often difficult to find, and many collectors start keeping a log of Anthoflores African violets as they come across them on the Web and from other growers. Below for reference is our unofficial, collected list of Anthoflores violet descriptions – not necessarily accurate, but we’ve linked the ones we’ve grown to photos so you can judge for yourself.

An Unofficial List of Anthoflores African Violets with Descriptions

Anthoflores Alexis (Harster Greenhouses) Dark blue, white edge; light green; Standard
Anthoflores Alf (Harster Greenhouses) Large blue, white edge; medium green; Standard
Anthoflores Alma (Harster Greenhouses) Light blue, white edge; dark green; Compact
Anthoflores Alrick (Harster Greenhouses) Semidouble White Pansy Blue Thumbprint. Plain, Light Green. Large
Anthoflores Appollonaire (Harster Greenhouses) Frilled white with blue edge; medium green; Compact
Anthoflores Ariel (Harster Greenhouses) Single white sticktite pansies with frilly blue violet edging; medium green, tailored, quilted. Standard
Anthoflores Arno (Harster Greenhouses) White and blue bi-color; medium green; Compact
Anthoflores Baker Pink Star (Harster Greenhouses) Single pink and white stars; medium green; Standard
Anthoflores Barnabe(Harster Greenhouses) Semidouble white pansy, dark blue radiant eye; medium green, pointed; Large
Anthoflores Bastian (Harster Greenhouses) Large sky blue, medium green; Standard
Anthoflores Bayer (Harster Greenhouses) Dark blue; medium green; Compact
Anthoflores Bayer Mauve (Harster Greenhouses) Single purple; dark green; Standard
Anthoflores Benjamin (Harster Greenhouses) Dark blue frilled; dark green; Standard
Anthoflores Benji M. Bic (Harster Greenhouses) Frilled white with dark purple edge; dark green; Standard
Anthoflores Berti (Harster Greenhouses) Single to semi-double dark blue pansies; medium green, plain; Large
Anthoflores Blue Star (Harster Greenhouses) Single to semi-double white pansy with dark blue thumbprints; dark green, plain; Standard
Anthoflores Brielle (Harster Greenhouses) Dark mauve with white edge; dark green; Standard
Anthoflores Brutus (Harster Greenhouses) Ruffled purple pansy with fine black edge; medium green, ovate; Standard
Anthoflores Busso (Harster Greenhouses) Dark blue single pansy; medium green; Large
Anthoflores Denise (Harster Greenhouses) Single dark red; light green; Compact
Anthoflores Edith (Harster Greenhouses) Single – semidouble white pansy, lavender/purple radiant eye; medium green, pointed; Large
Anthoflores Elias (Harster Greenhouses) Double red with blue tinge; medium green, ovate. Standard
Anthoflores Fire Red (Harster Greenhouses) Single – semidouble bright red pansies; light green, plain. Small Standard
Anthoflores Hanna (Harster Greenhouses) Single white pansy, red eye, thin red wavy edge; medium green, slightly scalloped; Small standard
Anthoflores Honore (Harster Greenhouses) Frilled white with red edge; medium green, round; Standard
Anthoflores Henrietta (Harster Greenhouses) Single and semi-double stars of bright rose pink with pure white centers. Medium green, tailored, symmetrical; Standard
Anthoflores Horacio (Harster Greenhouses) Single ruffled purple, white centers; medium green, plain; Standard
Anthoflores Guillaume (Harster Greenhouses) Single and semi double frilly white pansies marked with red at the centers and petal edges. Tailored, medium green; Standard
Anthoflores Caroline (Harster Greenhouses) Semi double and double frilly white pansies with candy pink edging. Tailored, symmetrical, medium green, quilted foliage
Anthoflores Irma (Harster Greenhouses) Large medium red frilled; light green round; Standard
Anthoflores Ivan Bic (Harster Greenhouses) Very large white with red edge; large leaves
Anthoflores Lila (Harster Greenhouses) Light purple frilled; medium green;
Anthoflores Lila Bic (Harster Greenhouses) White with light purple edge; medium green
Anthoflores Little AxelSemi-double white pansies with blue thumbprints; medium green; Semi-miniature
Anthoflores Little Barty [sometimes labeled as L. Barty] (Harster Greenhouses) Single fuchsia star, wide white fringed edge; dark green, wavy. Miniature
Anthoflores Lorelei (Harster Greenhouses) Single Purple / White Edge Pansy. Medium Green, Light White Variegation. Standard
Anthoflores Maeva (Harster Greenhouses) Single Hot Salmon / Purple Fantasy Pansy. Plain, Light Green. Standard
Anthoflores Marie (Harster Greenhouses) Single dark red; dark green; Compact
Anthoflores Marion (9332) – Blue & pink fantasy; large, dark green, round;
Anthoflores Maxime (Harster Greenhouses) Single white pansy, purple eye, variable green ruffled edge. Medium green, plain. Standard
Anthoflores Moe (9328) – Blue & pink fantasy; large, round leaves
Anthoflores Narcissa (Harster Greenhouses) Double lilac blooms; plain dark green, red back. Standard
Anthoflores Natalie (Harster Greenhouses) Large blue stars; medium green; Standard
Anthoflores Pansy (Harster Greenhouses) Large mauve with dark eye; medium green
Anthoflores Patrick (Harster Greenhouses) Very large purple frilled; medium green; Standard
Anthoflores Percy (Harster Greenhouses) Semidouble Purple Pansy. Dark Green Plain. Standard
Anthoflores Prosper (Harster Greenhouses) Very large frilled white with purple edge; light green; Standard
Anthoflores Ralph (Harster Greenhouses) Single pink pansies with darker pink centers held on strong bloom stems. Very dark green, tailored, quilted foliage with red reverse; Standard
Anthoflores Ramone (Harster Greenhouses) Large single medium pink; medium green round; Standard
Anthoflores Ramses (Harster Greenhouses) Dark rose pink; dark green; Compact
Anthoflores Raoul (Harster Greenhouses) White and pink bicolor; light green; Standard
Anthoflores Raphael Semi-double frilled white pansy with peachy-pink markings; plain medium green. Standard
Anthoflores Reinhardt (Harster Greenhouses) Light pink frilled, darker eye; dark green
Anthoflores Ricardo (Harster Greenhouses) Semi-double/double frilled bicolor, white with pink blush; medium green ovate; Small standard
Anthoflores Richard (Harster Greenhouses) Single dark pink pansies; plain, medium green; Standard
Anthoflores Robert (Harster Greenhouses) Light pink frilled; medium green; Compact
Anthoflores Rock B. Blue (Harster Greenhouses) Medium blue double rosettes; medium green, curly; Standard
Anthoflores Rock B. Rose (Harster Greenhouses) Single pink, frilled; medium green, curly; Compact
Anthoflores Rodin (Harster Greenhouses) Dark pink and white bicolor; dark green; Standard
Anthoflores Rosa-Lea (Harster Greenhouses) Single dark rose-pink with ruffled darker rose edge, rose glitter overlay. Medium green, plain, ovate.
Anthoflores Rose (Harster Greenhouses) Semidouble Pink Pansy. Medium Green. Standard
Anthoflores Rose Blanc (Harster Greenhouses) Single, two-tone white pansies with pink markings; medium olive green; Standard
Anthoflores Rose Claire (Harster Greenhouses) Double light pink rose-shaped blooms; medium green, curly; Standard

Anthoflores Rouge Red (Harster Greenhouses) Pink with red edge; dark green; Standard
Anthoflores Saskia (Harster Greenhouses) Dark purple pansy. Medium green, ovate; Standard
Anthoflores Simone (Harster Greenhouses) Single and semi double salmon pink frilled pansies; dark green, ruffled; Standard
Anthoflores Vanessa (Harster Greenhouses) Light blue, white edge; dark green; Standard
Anthoflores Virginia (Harster Greenhouses) Single Pink Pansy. Variegated White & Pink, Plain. Standard.
Anthoflores William (Harster Greenhouses) Single white; medium green; Standard

Anthoflores Millennium Series (Year 2000)

Anthoflores (9901) (Harster Greenhouses) Single dark pink with white eye; dark green; Standard
Anthoflores (9902) (Harster Greenhouses) Dark red frilled with white eye; dark green; Standard
Anthoflores (9904) (Harster Greenhouses) Single dark blue, white eye; dark green; Standard
Anthoflores (9914) (Harster Greenhouses) Large, double pink and white; medium green; Standard
Anthoflores (9915) (Harster Greenhouses) Semi-double, dark purple and white bicolor; dark green; Standard
Anthoflores (3913) (Harster Greenhouses) Light pink with white eye; medium green; Standard
Anthoflores (239) (Harster Greenhouses) Semidouble salmon pink, purple fantasy; medium green; Standard
Anthoflores Fire Red (Harster Greenhouses) Single to semidouble bright red pansy; light green, plain; Small Standard

Contact Harster

Harster Greenhouses Inc.
Box 8135 230 Highway # 8
Flamborough, Ontario, Canada
Phone: 1-905-628-2430 Fax: 1-905-628-4818

Recommended Reading on Plant Breeding and Hybridization:

Breeding Ornamental Plants

The Garden of Invention: The Business of Breeding Plants

Making More Plants: The Science, Art, and Joy of Propagation

You may be interested in…

• African violet seeds (Standards, Miniatures, Trailers)
• Other house plant seeds
• Seed starting supplies
• Floral and Botanical Wall Art

Hybridizing African violets is a fun hobby that will reward you with new and interesting plant varieties. Cross-pollinating African violets is easy to do and will produce seed pods within a couple of weeks. African violet seed pods usually take up to six months to mature.

How to Hybridize African Violets

Before you begin it is always advisable to work on a clean, dry surface and to sterilize any tools you might use. Although no special tools are needed in order to cross-pollinate African violets, many people like to use manicure scissors, razor blades, toothpicks and other implements. If you choose to use tools they should be sterilized with bleach or alcohol beforehand. If you will be making several crosses with different parents and pollen sets be sure to wash your hands, work surface, and tools between crosses.

Choosing the Parent Plants

The first decision is choosing which two plants to cross. You can use any two African violets that you’d like. If you’re just curious about hybridizing and want to give it a try for the first time just pick two plants that have nice qualities you’d like to see combined. (If you’re attempting to produce very specific results, such as yellow flowers over mosaic variegated leaves, or single red stars with white edges, you will need to know more about genetic traits and their inheritance patterns in order to choose parents likely to succeed in giving you the desired results. More on this later.)

The two flower parts that you need to be concerned with are the yellow anthers (pollen sacs) and the pistil (see photo). Generally speaking (there are exceptions), every African violet has both plant parts and can become either the seed parent (the ‘mother’ plant that will carry the seed pod to maturity) or the pollen parent (the ‘father’ plant or pollen donor). The plants you choose for each role matter only if you are seriously hybridizing. Otherwise, just name one the seed parent and the other the pollen parent.

Cross-Pollinating African Violet Flowers

Remove the anthers from the pollen parent or donor plant. You can pinch them off with your fingers or thumbnail, or you can snip them off with manicure scissors. Split each pollen sac in half to release the pollen. You may cut them open with a razor blade or merely use a thumbnail to split them open. “Good” pollen will be dry and powdery; if the sacs are too moist or mushy then the pollen is not good for making a cross.

Transfer the powdery pollen to the stigma (the tip of the style) of the seed parent flower. This can be done with your thumbnail, or with a small paintbrush or cotton swab. When a flower is receptive to pollination the stigma will be sticky and often visibly glistening. This usually happens within a day or two of the flower opening and can last for up to a week. Apply the pollen to the sticky end — and you’re done. If the cross is successful a seed pod will begin to form and become noticeable within 10-14 days or later depending upon variety.

Maturing Seed Pods

Once a pod begins to form the flower surrounding your new seed pod will fade and wither as usual. Take care not to accidentally “groom” the pod away if you are in the habit of regularly pinching off dead and dying blooms. Tying a brightly-colored piece of yarn around the flower stem is a helpful reminder. Seed pods take anywhere from 3 to 6 months or more to mature depending upon the cross, the individual plants, and the cultural environment.

When finished maturing the pod will begin to shrink and turn brown and the flower stem will begin to shrivel. At this point you should remove the pod from the plant and let it air dry for a couple of weeks before sowing the seed or storing it for future sowing. Seeds are best stored in the unopened pod — place it in an airtight container with a desiccant and store in a dry, cool place. They can remain viable for up to two years or more if care is taken to keep them dry and cool. See Growing African Violets from Seed for detailed instructions on how to plant your new African violet seeds.

Tips for Successful Hybridizing of African Violets

Although the process of hybridizing is relatively easy there are certain things you can do to increase your success rate. Here are a few tried-and-true tips and hints:

» Use pollen sacs from old or fading blooms — they will already be quite dry and the pollen inside should be powdery. Alternately, you can use pollen sacs saved from flowers that bloomed earlier. They are easy to keep for use in future crosses by storing in a paper envelope with a desiccant.

» “Old Man, Young Lady” – As the saying goes, increase your chances of success by using an older flower for the pollen and a younger flower to receive the pollen.

» Repeat a cross (reapply pollen to pistil) several times over a period of several days to increase the odds of the cross ‘taking.’

» African violet crosses take more easily in high humidity. If you have a low-humidity growing area you can increase the humidity with pebble trays or by loosely covering the plant with a clear plastic bag. (Be sure to leave adequate ventilation to prevent condensation.)

» Desiccants – You can purchase desiccants in various forms from craft stores or any retailer of dried or pressed flower supplies. You can also collect and reuse desiccant packets from shoe and leather goods purchases — they can be reactivated over time by zapping them in the microwave on low heat for 1 minute.

» You can store unopened seed pods in a refrigerator or freezer if you seal them with desiccant in an airtight container (plastic film containers work well) inside a tightly sealed zip-type plastic freezer bag. African violet seeds stored this way can remain viable for two years or longer.

Recommended African Violet Groups:

We strongly recommend joining the AVIS Hybridisers Club, the sister group to AV International, for shared interest in and support of African violet and streptocarpus hybridizing projects. Both groups can be accessed online or via mailing list, and are frequented by leading experts in the field such as Jeff Smith and Dale Martens, renowned for her work with gesneriads — especially variegated streptocarpus varieties. Also recommended are memberships in the African Violet Society of America (AVSA) and The Gesneriad Society.

Recommended African Violet Books:

African Violets: The Complete Guide

African Violets Back to the Basics: Your Questions Answered

»More books about African violets

Helpful resources…

• House plant seeds
• Seed starting supplies
• Floral and Botanical Wall Art

How to Cross African Violets

African Violet Flower Parts

The reproductive flower parts of the African violet that we need to be concerned with in hybridizing are the yellow anthers (pollen sacs) of the donor (male or donor parent) and the sticky end (stigma) of the style (collectively, the stigma and style are called the pistil). The donor pollen needs to be applied to the sticky end of the pistil when seed parent (female, or pod parent) is receptive.