Hi Edwin--Sometimes the first flowers will not be the exactly true colors of the more mature blossoms. Also, if the plant was not propagated through several generations to establish stability and it was rushed to retail that could also be a reason.

Does your violet have a name? How long did it take to change? Do you fertilize constantly or haphazardly? (that's ok, a lot of us are guilty of that.)

Yes, violets can be crossed. Here are the ways I know to get different colors of violets,,,,,,:

1] to buy one

2] to hybridize with 2 different violets to create a seed pod and grow them and see what you get. [Known as crossing].

3] to cut two leaves at a slant (approx. the same size slant), and bind the two cut edges together with a piece of string and see what you get.

Anyone have any other ideas? Good Luck! rosie

Thanks. It did not have a name. The third way is interesting. Please explain how it is done. Perhaps you have a link to a page showing how it is done. Is it the stems of the leaves which are bound together? This is a picture of its flowers as they have become to my disappointment. I bought it at a shop run by a seed company because I did not want something like this to happen. It seems I might just as well have bought one at a supermarket.

Edwin, I think your violet is beautiful. A lot of us grow NOIDS and love them.

I only have 2 places to buy from our supermarket Meijer, and Lowe's Home Improvement. They do not have name tags, but they are Optimara violets according to the label on the pot.

If you are looking for named varieties, search this forum, there are threads written by people who will send leaves for postage, or if you have a few leaves to trade that is something else that is done on this forum.

Also go to the Exchange/Trading section. Scroll those threads and you may find traders.

As far as the technique you are interested in, I have never done it, but others have been successful. The method is simple. Take two leaves, cut the stems at an identical slant. Place the two cut edged together and gently bind with soft string. Plant as usual. It is said that by doing this the resulting babies (if you are fortunate enough to have them) will be combinations of both parents.

Will it be worth it? Don't know. But it is an interesting concept. And remember you may have to repeat this process a few times to get babies just as with any leaf you plant.

If you get a violet that is different (flower and or leaf) enough to proceed with, you should propagate that plant at LEAST through 3 generations to see if it propagates true. If they do,,,,,,you now have something to register and market!

As far as a website, I don't know one. I would just start digging into African Violet Leaf Propagation [or something like that]. Good Luck! Rosie

Thanks. Not knowing about that I did such to pansy plants when I was a child. I thought I would get a cross between them. All I remember is that the resulting plant died. Here in Stockholm, Sweden many stores sell African Violets. There are also a few nurseries. Swedes have a practice known as "stealing a shoot". It is not allowed where they are sold of course. Otherwise if you came across an African Violet somewhere and it had lots of leaves it is okay to cut one off carefully where it will not be noticed. This one is one I rescued. Trying to rescue plants is one of my weaknesses. People do not know how to look after them at church or have to have them flowering so I was given this one. It is darker, more violet than the other which is bluer. The next time I see a pink or white one I shall "steal a shoot" but it is the ones with more than one colour which I like. I have 13 phaleonopsis in flower, have given away one that is almost all white, have 4 , perhaps 5, with buds and 30 odd more with neither flowers nor buds. I also have a baby African Violet with neither and I do not know what colour because I took several cuttings and got them mixed up. It was not grown in loose soil and took ages for the leaf to produce it. When I looked at it a few moments ago I noticed an even smaller baby plant by its side. I had not seen the YouTube showing that you use a light soil made airier by adding perlite and a very small, rather shallow pot and get lots of baby plants in less than a month instead of the heavy soil I had which took months to produce one baby plant.

Thanks I shall try that when I get more colours and shall keep you informed when I do, At church I am given plants people think are no longer beautiful enough. Also I am often the one who waters them or empties the water out of the pots in which they are being drowned. No you definitely do not "steal a shoot" at a show or anything like that. At a friend's place yes, i always tell my friends if i do and they reply that it only works if you do not tell anyone. That is superstition but i think what really matters is that you are so careful that it is never noticed. Anyway that is my way of "stealing a shoot." Also according to what I read removing leaves from African Violets brings them to produce buds as well as shaping the plants. In Busy Lizzies taking cuttings brings the plant to produce new shoots and I think the same applies to Pelargoniums. It certainly applies to cultivated purslane, the vegetable which has omega 3 in it and whose cuttings root in water in a matter of days. I have not been very sucessful with African Violets previously and have given up completely on Hibiscus and Pelargoniums. It looks like I shall be adding Lucky Clover (Oxalis) to that category too as of this year. Phaleonopsis orchids are much easier. This year I got 14 to rebloom.Once again though I managed this evening to knock a new branch off trying to get one positioned. No matter because it still has blooms and if I had not removed rotted roots and repotted them it and 2 others would have no chance of survival. Just for the record, I want plants with lots of colour, bloom profusely year after year and are relatively easy. Naturally blue and red orchids are difficult and expensive here so instead I decided tp get blue through African Violets and red through Busy Lizzie.

"It only works if you don't ask." Ha! Ha! If I'm asked, I prefer to give a whole plant or remove a good size sucker as I keep extras on hand for would-be pilferers! Joanne

Oh Joanne, I wish I lived near you! lol Rosie

"It only works if you don't ask." Here in the U.S. there is a superstition that you should never thank a person for plant cutting (or violet leaves, I suppose.) Supposedly, they won't grow if you thank the person!! I can't help myself. I have to say thank you. Dottie

Really? What are you s'posed too say then?

My sister and I trade plants (sadly not violets, she is not into them) and we kinda make fun of the superstition. She will give me something and without thinking I will, of course, say thank you. And she will laugh and say "no no take it back!" So I hurry and amend it by saying something like "Oh that is for the pot, nice pot!" Or if it is a cutting with no pot, soil or anything I will say "thanks for the good wish that this will live!" I know it is stupid, but that is what we do IF we remember the superstition when we give each other something. I know. Dumb huh?

But if someone pinched a cut or leaf without telling me I have to say I would be angry. Even at my sister!!!! Core value, it is stealing. You like my plant, you take a piece without telling me. Stealing. I offer so much no one has the opportunity to TRY to pilfer. But if I don't get around to offering and you want a leaf or piece all you have to do is mention it. I will give if possible.

What if I am grooming that plant for a specific reason an you take a leaf off? I woud be furious with a capital F.

I guess I am going to end this by saying I am glad this practice is NOT prevalent in my area. Just my ntbh opinion. Rosie