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S ionantha


The ancestor for many of today's hybrids.  Single blue-violet.  Dark green, pointed, heart-shaped foliage with reddish back.  Profuse bloomer.  Standard species.

$9.00

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S ionantha

Average Rating 4.9 out of 5

Happy Re-acquaintance

Sometimes it's nice to get back to basics. This is the African Violet of my childhood, before I was introduced to the amazing hybrids. This particular SP variety blooms a lot! There are always a new flush of buds coming in. It's very easy to grow, and delightful to see.

Fay Gonzales Jun 25 2024, 12:29 PM

Very good performer in it's own right!

I like this plant in my collection, just to remind myself how much work has been done by hybridizers working to make a variety of colorful new cultivars. However, this species is a very good performer in it self!

Deborah Stout Nov 09 2023, 19:15 PM

Species violets

I’ve been purchasing from Violet Barn for many years. The plants always arrive in beautiful shape, sometimes blooming. I appreciate selection of Species Violets as after over 50 years of growing violets the species are my main concentration now.

Jann Selleck Sep 12 2023, 23:18 PM

Full of the natural beauty of Nature!

While I love all the hybrids, this one has a glow of natural beauty that is unsurpassed! Mine grows slightly upright, just enough to get a glimpse of burgundy and pink on the underside of the leaves. The flowers are a glowing violet. I have a rabbt foot fern growing atop a candle holder and surrounded it with species violets so that they are growing under a fern canopy. Together they create a picture of the untouched beauty of nature.! Spectacular!

Patrick Caba Aug 31 2022, 10:42 AM

Great place to start!

I began growing several species this year. I love them all, but S ionantha has been the easiest to grow. Beautiful, sturdy plant that has been blooming non-stop! Highly recommend!

Anonymous May 22 2022, 23:54 PM

Beginner’s fave

I got my first try of growing violets with S Ionantha. It’s blue violet colors were an eye catcher and it was easy to grow. With a beginner’s luck, this one is a winner.

Melanie Mallari Apr 02 2022, 23:21 PM

Such a happy bloomer!

I thought I would try one of the species and this was one of the first ones I got. It just keeps growing and blooming. The flowers are small and do not last long but there are always new ones coming to replace them. I love having a violet with the species history and especially one that has been in bloom since I got it months ago!

Shirley Geibel Oct 12 2021, 11:04 AM

constant bloomer

This was my first species plant. I absolutely recommend this plant!!! It has not stopped blooming, under lights, for months. The picture looks like my plant. Loaded with blooms!!!

Mary Fridrich Jul 05 2021, 15:26 PM

Quick growing and blooming!

I love this one so much! It arrived already in bloom, grew quickly, and has continued to bloom since its arrival. I bought it along with a few other varieties, and it's grown more and bloomed more than any other. Perfect for a beginner!

Anonymous Jun 18 2021, 14:30 PM

constant bloomer

This is my favorite species violet so far! It just blooms and blooms. I do grow under lights so I don't know how it would do without them. Just looking at it brings joy to my heart!

Anonymous Jun 16 2021, 14:53 PM

Constantly Blooming

I love this plant, of all my African Violets this one is the only one that blooms year round.

Barbara Doherty Apr 14 2021, 20:16 PM

So Sweet

I recently received this species violet for my collection. I was so excited for it to arrive because I have always wanted one. This one came in bloom with the sweetest blue purple blooms. I just love the simplicity of this one. It is a healthy plant & came very well packaged.

Phyllis Van Dyke Oct 04 2020, 14:25 PM

Plant blooming as a baby

Arrived about 2 weeks ago and was in bud. I've transplanted to a 4 inch pot and it hasn't stopped blooming. The plant is growing larger steadily while it continues blooming and producing more buds. The flowers are a lovely light blue-lilac with a little sparkle to the petal like many hybrids have. I love Saintpaulia species. The flowers aren't as flashy as hybrid but they are blooming machines and hardy as can be.

gail wrenn Jan 26 2020, 22:05 PM

A beautiful species plant!

I just love this plant - very sturdy & hardy, grows easily under lights or indirect sunlight, blooms almost constantly!

Marilyn Greer Jul 15 2019, 19:10 PM

Very Nice Plant

Plant arrived in excellent shape with a few buds. Not a leaf broken!

Anonymous Feb 03 2019, 09:32 AM

My first survivor

Easy to grow. Broke all the av rules and it still blooms reliably. I even ignored it. Let it grow multi-crown. Low light. Low humidity. Over water, under water. Never fed it. It's a blooming machine.

Patrick Jones Dec 02 2018, 02:34 AM

Good for beginners

Growing the early species & first hybrids is a wonderfull way to start with African Violets. My experiences with Saintpaulia Ionantha, & some of the early hybrids is they are especially hardy & forgiving. My Saintpaulia thrives on despite needing repotting badly & a hot journey in the car for a recent move.

Nicolette Papanek Sep 24 2018, 10:13 AM

GREAT CLONE

S. ionantha arrived in Miami in May 2018. It's growing in a bathroom at 75oF (air conditioning) with 12 hours of intense indirect light. Hasn't been repotted and gets water once a week. Came with two flower shoots and it hasn't stopped blooming since then. Great clone!

Tony Castineiras Jul 31 2018, 18:04 PM

just getting bud now

Received this in my order in April. All the plants were in perfect shape, packaging was awesome. Just starting to get some buds now. Cannot wait for them to open. I love the compact standards and the semi-minis as I have limited space. Thank you for your care in shipping them.

Paula Noakes Jul 05 2018, 10:58 AM

just getting bud now

received this with my order in April, all the plants were in perfect shape, no broken leaves. This is just getting buds now, cannot wait for them to open. I love the small standards and the semi-minis as I am limited on space. thanks for such great packageing..

Paula Noakes Jul 05 2018, 10:44 AM

Very hardy little violet!!!

This violet is constantly in bloom, keeps a nice shape and is very forgiving. It is happy no matter it's location on my plant stand (up front with more light, or in the back with less light; also isn't negatively affected if my watering schedule is off by a few days). I highly recommend adding this gem to your violet collection!

Marilyn Greer May 07 2018, 19:40 PM

Star Performer

I have wanted this species plant for years and finally found it at Violet Barn. I have been so pleasantly surprised with S. Ionantha. This plant has bloomed almost continuously and the foliage just keeps spreading very happily! I love this hardy little gem!

Mary Miller Oct 07 2017, 21:53 PM

easy to grow, blooms often

I bought this about a year ago and am very happy with it. It seems to bloom almost all the time. While the blooms are rather plain, they are a very pretty color and shape. The foliage, too, is also very pretty. I would recommend this to anyone who wants a species violet

Margaret Siirila Jun 24 2017, 18:21 PM

Oldie but Goodie

This is one of the first violets I can remember seeing my mother grow, and is responsible for giving me the AV "bug". As I recall, this violet was easy to propagate and quite hardy, even surviving less than ideal temperatures (my folks did not have central heating/air). I highly recommend this plant for beginner growers!

Anonymous Dec 05 2015, 22:02 PM

Pretty plant for windowsill

I got this violet in summer 2012. It is kept on an east-facing windowsill, and it is ALWAYS in bloom, even in winter. Easygoing, undemanding, and pretty.

Jill Stern Dec 28 2013, 15:16 PM

First plant

I was given this type of African Violet by my father-in-law. I have a black thumb when it comes to plants. So far I have transplanted this plant 6 times for friends and because it continues to out grow its pots. It has bloomed for the last 6 months straight and I am loving talking and taking pictures of it everyday.

ANN DOVER Nov 04 2012, 18:53 PM

Hearty Little Bugger

Can't lose with this one! I like to give these as gifts because they're so easy to care for - I include a short Care & Feeding Guide from my word processor for the recipient ...

Nancy Mumm Sep 05 2012, 10:56 AM

For every collection

As a collector, I appreciate the chance to own the original African violet. Mine arrived in excellent condition.

Thomas Crabill Jul 06 2012, 13:53 PM

small but wonderful

I received 2 of these violets with buds on them. One bud opened yesterday and is small and sweet. Its' amazing how may hybrids came from this simple flower.

Stephanie Apr 11 2012, 12:07 PM

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