Lilac Butterflies

Labeled as "A13" in my first batch of seedlings, this African Violet never ceases to amaze me. It's a heavy bloomer. I counted About 12 or 13 possible buds on one stalk (including two flowers that bloomed, faded and I removed, and one bud I accidentally broke off. I'm not sure if all will open, though it would be amazing if they did. I find it interesting how long the stalks are and how each blossom is spaced far apart from the other. Most African violets I've seen bloom so tight that sometimes not all blossoms can open fully.

It just keeps on blooming and producing new buds.


I love the smaller flowers. I'm not sure why, except it just seems graceful. The graceful stalks and small flowers remind me of a species violet or some of the older varieties. It makes me wonder what Optimara used to in making the parents. Neither of them (Stephanie or Montana) show this trait. Stephanie seems to have a more species like bloom shape. At least that is how I identified it, besides the time I bought it and what violets I remembered being sold with it at the time. (It was sold at a Pick in' Save around winter 1995 or 1996 along with Clementine.) At the time I picked out my African violet, I didn't know what the names meant. The newer version seems to have wider lower petals than the 1995 version, at least based on internet photos I've seen of both.



Long spaced out bloom stalks seems to be recessive to the thick clumping bloom style. I'm not sure about smaller flowers, but I think that may be be recessive too.


I have two of them growing at full standard size. One up in my bedroom and one in the basement. They grow differently, but yet the same.

The stalks on the basement one are shorter.


Note: Veining and curved petal shape.

Side view:


Blooms have a ligher backing. Pale lavender blue with darker blue overlay.. Darker eye.

Plant view:

Upstairs:

It lost a lower leaf. I think I knocked it either dusting the plant or when I took everything off and repainted the plant shelf.

Basement:



To me, the leaves are just as important as the blooms. For my goal to be met, the leaves and blooms of my hybrids need to work together and create an impression. Symmetry is also a must. I don't want to go through extensive time forcing a plant to grow symmetrical. I like to just put it under some fluorescent lights or grow it by a window (turning it ever so often) and have it look like it could be shown just like that. I desire a plant that looks showy when not in bloom. The flowers add to the show. So far "Lilac Butterflies" is meeting those requirements.

I'll need to come up with a description for this violet. More photos of it are visible in my photobucket gallery. Each of my favorites will eventually have their own gallery of images.