The plant I've always thought of as Floating Violet is in full bloom at the moment after suffering badly this summer (had to prune it back ruthlessly). I'd managed to save one branch of it and that one frond hung down looking quite forlone so I wound it around inside the pot and now that it's flowering, looks nicely symmetrical. Unlike a true violet, this has no perfume. The flowers seem to float on any gentle breeze, no doubt where it gets that name. It strikes very easily from cutting too.
[Edit - 8/4/10 11pm - Thanks to a kind reader, we have the true name. It's Streptocarpus which is also known as Nodding Violet (they nod in the breeze) and related to the African Violet. More info can be found here. It also grows well as a ground cover and has been used extensively at Flemington Racecourse.]
Loving the blog, just wanted to say that I always knew that plant as a 'nodding violet'. Mine never did well in pots, but grew well near the edges of the garden where I threw it when I could no longer stand seeing it floundering in the pot.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info and for your kind comment. Will see if I can find it under 'nodding', was just going to wait till I next went to a nursery. I've only ever grown it in pots!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful colour! I used to have a little potted violet growing by my kitchen sink, but I've never seen this kind before.
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