African violet varieties: color and form

Start with the flower. African violet forms differ in color, single or double flowers, smooth or ruffled petals and bloom size, while they share warm, humid care with bright, indirect light.

Plant coveredSaintpaulia ionanthaAfrican violet · indoor container

Check the species, variety, group or trade name

Plant names and labels

Taxonomy
Saintpaulia ionantha is the queried and retail name. RHS and Kew place African-violet material under Streptocarpus, while Saintpaulia remains widely used.
Group
African violets form a compact indoor group with many colors and forms, including single or double flowers, larger or smaller blooms, and smooth or ruffled petals.

Compare visible shape, pattern and size

How the varieties differ

Choose among color, single versus double flowers, petal texture and relative bloom size. Listed colors include violet, mauve, blue, pink, red and white. A color or flower form alone does not name a cultivar.

Change care only for a named difference

Care differences

The shared baseline is bright but indirect light, warm and humid conditions, and careful watering. Flower color or petal form does not establish a separate watering or feeding schedule.

Treat an unverified identity as uncertain

Limits of plant labels

Sources