Variegated Saintpaulias – exotic among violets-Care

Saintpaulias are back in fashion and are reversing the idea of ​​cute, blooming violet crumbs that willingly live on any windowsill. Trends in the “market” of uzambara violets indicate a rapid increase in interest in plants with unusual leaves. More and more admiring glances are attracted not by unusual colors of flowers, but by exotic variegated colors of leaves. Variegated Saintpaulias are almost indistinguishable from all the others in cultivation. But bright flashes of light spots on the leaves completely transform their appearance.

Сенполия ‘Rob’s Outer Orbit’. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com N. Pomazova
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What leaves do Saintpaulias have?

Violets are often called houseplants, the most varied in terms of flowering and the most boring in terms of greenery. For some reason, all Saintpaulias are perceived as dark-leaved, velvety-leaved, neatly rosette crumbs. But if you look closely not only at flowering, but also at greenery, it is obvious that each variety has leaves that are actually special.

More rounded or oval, almost heart-shaped or narrow, with a wide base or narrow petiole, raised or almost lying, small, medium and large, with varying degrees of jagged edges, different shades of green and the effect of their fluff …

All Saintpaulias are individual and unique. But under the “special leaves” in violets, they usually mean either plants with ruffles along the edge (beautiful wavy varieties), or new-fashioned variegated breeding novelties.

Unlike extravagant collectible leafy violets, which bloom inconspicuously and are grown only for the sake of leaves, variegated violets are full-fledged and familiar Saintpaulias, in which variegated colors of leaves are added to the “option” of luxurious flowering.

Saint Paul ‘Lucky Penny’. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com Mildred Rosam

Leaves variegation – unique mutation of Saintpaulias

Variegation is an atypical phenomenon for uzambar violets, but not entirely a scientific achievement. These are natural genetic mutations that reduce the amount of chlorophyll in the cells of individual leaf areas and, in fact, disrupt the metabolic changes typical of Saintpaulias.

Opened the possibility of breeding variegated varieties thanks to an amazing random mutation in one of the largest collections of violets in the United States. Natural mutation remains the main tool for obtaining these unique multi-colored-leaf violets today. And selection, which strengthens and enhances the variegation of the offspring, allows you to get different variations of variegated patterns.

The variegation of Saintpaulias is not constant. The best variegated varieties in other conditions can completely lose light and colored areas, or vice versa, increase their area. Dependence on the quality of care and stability of conditions are the factors that determine the manifestation of this mutation on the leaves of a plant.

Variegated Saintpaulias are attractive because, unlike many other plants, each mutation in them is absolutely unique. In fact, variegation is exclusive on every plant. Their leaves can be stained both from the edges and from the petioles, change patterns during the aging process, offer different variations of patterns on each leaf and not be repeated exactly once.

Groups of variegated violets

Depending on how the patterns appear not only on individual leaves, but also on the entire rosette, all variegated Saintpaulias are divided into several groups:

1. Mosaic varieties (trade name – Lilian Jared), in which variegation appears in the center or at the base of the leaf plates in the form of alternating spots resembling mosaics or marble ornaments.
2. Bordered varieties (trade name – Tommie Lou) – neat and beautiful saintpaulias, on the leaves of which light edges appear at the edges and seem to blur, without creating a strict effect.
3. Crown varieties (trade name – Champion), in which the variegation decreases from the center of the rosette to its edges, sometimes almost disappearing on the lowest leaves and always manifests itself differently on each leaf – from small specks similar to dust particles to large spots, from rare individual dots to covering almost the entire leaf plate evenly or covering it completely.
4. Chimeric mutations – the appearance on the leaves of large spots of a different shade of green, usually in the center of the leaf.
5. Spontaneous mutationsoccurring in varieties without the previously characteristic variegation.

Mutations during vegetative propagation are completely preserved in variegated violets, but with one secret: the cleaner the leaf is used for propagation, the stronger the patterns on the offspring and the stronger the plants themselves.

The most striking variegation in the offspring can be observed if you use non-colored leaves from the second row in the outlet – from below, of course.

But it is not easy to get new bushes: due to mutations, small, almost white rosettes formed in old leaves during rooting become much more fragile and weak than in ordinary Saintpaulias. It is possible to separate them from the cutting only when they grow well, dark green colors will appear on young rosettes.

Сенполия ‘Powwow’. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com catfootfog

“Little things” in the care that are important for variegated violets

Variegation means not only decorative changes: on the leaves of violets, the area capable of full-fledged photosynthesis is also reduced. And the more variegated areas cover the surface, the more the plant depends on the quality of lighting and care.

In general, growing variegated violets is no different from growing all other Saintpaulias. But there are a few things to consider if you want to keep your plants healthy and … variegated. After all, this mutation disappears very quickly in the wrong environment.

The first thing to do to guarantee variegated patterns is to clarify all the information about the plant when buying. Houses for variegated Saintpaulias need to recreate the same conditions in which they grew earlier – otherwise the patterns may disappear. For the rest, it is enough to take care of a few nuances:

1. Lighting for the plant is critical. Variegated violets won’t adapt to change with the same ease. Only good, diffusely bright illumination with 12-hour daylight hours is a guarantee of full manifestation of patterns on the leaves of variegated varieties.
2. The temperature requirements for variegated violets change only in one parameter – the maximum indicators. Saintpaulias with variegated leaves do not like heat and will prefer to stay in a room with a temperature no higher than 21 degrees.
3. It is worth paying attention to one more little thing – the quality of the water. Variegated crumbs do not forgive misses and watering with non-soft water.
4. When choosing top dressing, it is worth using not any fertilizers for violets, but only those in which the nitrogen content is lowered in comparison with potassium and phosphorus.

Saintpaulia ‘Rob’s Scrumptious’. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com gesneriads
Сенполия ‘Witch Doctor’. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com Mary J. I.
Saintpaulia ‘Alamo Gold Fever’. Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com Svetlana OS

The best variegated violets

The first variegated variety from among the “mutants” appeared only in 1959, two years after the discovery of the mutation and testing its resistance in offspring. For a long time, the white border on the leaves was considered something exceptional and for almost half a century only the very first variegated variety could be found on the shelves, which gave the name to all the bordered varieties – «Tommi Lu » (‘Tommie Lou’).

But in the new millennium, trends quickly changed, and the fashion for everything exotic and unusual has also affected the beautiful crumbs of Saintpaulia. Dozens of interesting variegated varieties have been actively bred both here, in Europe and overseas.

The best varieties of variegated violets are rightfully ranked as:

• variegated crown variety “Private Dancer” (‘Private Dancer’) with grayish leaves covered with light pink spots, almost completely covering the center of the rosette, and purple flowers with thick lilac fringes;
• crown variety ‘Rob’s Scrumptious’ with a watercolor transition of pink to cream and medium green tones on the leaves and candy pink flowers with white edges;
• mosaic grade ‘Crabapple’ – slow-growing, with five to six shades of green, flowing from the brown edge to the whitish center of the leaves and contrasting with the dazzling bright pink double flowers;
• mosaic grade ‘Witch Doctor’ with huge denticles along the edge of dark green leaves, decorated with cream ornaments and fuchsia-pink double flowers;
• edged grade Allamo Gold Rush (‘Alamo Gold Fever’) with spreading lines, wavy light edges, white on old sheets and unevenly reddening in the center of the rosette, merging with cream flowers;
• edged grade ‘Powwow’ with dark scarlet simple flowers and even oval emerald leaves, decorated with a powdered border, thicker at the base of the leaf, thin on old leaves and covering almost the entire leaf plate except for the “feather” on the rest;
• edged grade ‘Buckeye Boysenberry’ – a lilac large-flowered variety with wavy petals, the leaves of which are decorated with a speckled light pink border;
• one of the darkest-leaved varieties ‘Rob’s Outer Orbit’ with a white-creamy “dashed” border, which is especially pronounced on young leaves and ultramarine flowers, occasionally covered with light pink spots;
• whimsical variety “Happy Penny” (‘Lucky Penny’) with olive green feather spots on whitish light leaves and unique faded light lilac flowers that retain dark purple erosion in the center of the petals.

Many plants that can be purchased at exhibitions remain unnamed, or even completely random mutations. But this does not diminish their beauty in the least.