History of the African Violet:The African violet is a very common houseplant. African violets are also known as Saintpaulia Ionantha. La Violette Africaine was founded in 1892 in northeastern Tanga and German East Africa. The man who found the plants was named Saint Paul. Once Saint Paul found them, he gave some to his father who lived in Germany. Once people started seeing these plants, it quickly became a trend. The African violet plants remained in the European area for about two years, before finally making their way to the United States. There are many different colors of African violets that can be derived from the original cultivar. The African violet has a neat construction of leaves on the outside of the plant and flowering parts in the middle. The flowering part in the middle is the part that can be modified using a cultivar. Flowers of different colors are red blue, purple, lavender, pink, white or a combination color. African violets are easy to care for, but they need the proper environment to grow. The most important thing about the environment is that the temperature should be relatively between 70 and 80 degrees during the day and it should have high humidity. Another advantage of African violets is that they can handle a lot of shade. This means that African violet plants cannot have too much light or they will not grow as healthy (ag. auburn). This African violet is an indoor plant. As you can see the flowering plant in purple and the leaves. Propagation Methods Used for African Violets: African violets, like any other plants, have many ways to propagate. They can be propagated by leaf cuttings or tissue culture. Leaf cuttings are a very easy medium...very persistent and difficult to remove. (Plant Propagation, p.682) African VioletThis African Violet has a very vibrant flower in the middle.7. After the Incubator: Once the plant has grown in the incubator and you see shoots and roots, you can transfer the plant to only a little soil, if any. Then, over time, slowly give it soil, light and reduce humidity (Biotech). - Methods practiced in a lab session like Horticulture 202 did in lab week 7. Conclusion: African violets are such an interesting plant to have as a houseplant. There are different ways to propagate this plant, by leaf cutting or tissue culture. Tissue culture is becoming more and more popular every year. African violets need to be in a greenhouse in very warm temperatures and should be shaded. This common houseplant is becoming more and more popular over the years.