Friday’s puzzle scared you off! Matt was correct – this is an African violet (Saintpaulia spp.). But unlike other African violets, this one never opens its flower buds (Sandy nailed it!). Originally cultivated in Germany, these plants are marketed in the US by Optimara Violets. That’s all I can tell you about this quirky little cultivar.
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Linda Chalker-Scott
Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott has a Ph.D. in Horticulture from Oregon State University and is an ISA certified arborist and an ASCA consulting arborist. She is WSU’s Extension Urban Horticulturist and a Professor in the Department of Horticulture, and holds two affiliate associate professor positions at University of Washington. She conducts research in applied plant and soil sciences, publishing the results in scientific articles and university Extension fact sheets.
Linda also is the award-winning author of five books: the horticultural myth-busting The Informed Gardener (2008) and The Informed Gardener Blooms Again (2010) from the University of Washington Press and Sustainable Landscapes and Gardens: Good Science – Practical Application (2009) from GFG Publishing, Inc., and How Plants Work: The Science Behind the Amazing Things Plants Do from Timber Press (2015). Her latest effort is an update of Art Kruckeberg’s Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest from UW Press (2019).
In 2018 Linda was featured in a video series – The Science of Gardening – produced by The Great Courses. She also is one of the Garden Professors – a group of academic colleagues who educate and entertain through their blog and Facebook pages. Linda’s contribution to gardeners was recognized in 2017 by the Association for Garden Communicators as the first recipient of their Cynthia Westcott Scientific Writing Award.
"The Garden Professors" Facebook page - www.facebook.com/TheGardenProfessors
"The Garden Professors" Facebook group - www.facebook.com/groups/GardenProfessors
Books: http://www.sustainablelandscapesandgardens.com
View all posts by Linda Chalker-Scott
What is the point of having an African Violet that does not bloom?
Exactly what I was thinking!
Apparently florists like to use it for a backdrop. If you Google Neverfloris and look at images, you’ll see some examples of what people do with this plant!
I find this plant to be a great conversation plant. We have sold several, but the market is still untapped out there. Thanks for talking about it. Let me know if you have questions about it.
russell@optimara.com