Hi
It is possibly Rita,
a variety that Optimara has this year. It can be inconsistent.
So just be prepared to be surprised. Sometimes, the
second blooming is more of what you might expect, but there is no telling what you might get because it has many genetic components.
Joanne

This post was edited by fortyseven on Thu, Mar 6, 14 at 12:17

It does look like Rita. The thumbprints in general (not just Optimaras) tend to be sensitive to temperatures. Perhaps this is the issue? It may just need some adjustment to your conditions. You should be able to get the original flowers back if conditions are right.

It looks like a beauty!

Posted by quimoi z5 PA (My Page) on Sun, Mar 2, 14 at 16:08

Posted by fortyseven 9 CA (My Page) on Sun, Mar 2, 14 at 15:11

Optimara has a series with flowers showing ruffled light green edges. I think it is the "everfloris". This one has it when I bought it.

I thoroughly checked again. It seems new buds still have some, to a degree. The green edge appears to become very thin and eventually disappeared. I love this ruffled light green edge, though.

I realized after I posted that you did say it was Everfloris.
I have not seen one of those in person. Joanne

All the Everfloris varieties have large ruffled leaves and this one does not seem to have those. They are generally large plants too (there is one exception, can't remember which Ever... it is).

Even if it's the smallish one, the leaves should be ruffled though.

I'm puzzled. Look at MyViolet and Selective Gardener and see if any of the Space Violet/Everfloris looks like it. I didn't see any.

There is a Rhapsodie Anika which I've never seen, but it is supposed to have heart-shaped leaves. Sometimes the descriptions leave something to be desired.

This post was edited by quimoi on Mon, Mar 3, 14 at 11:09

Posted by quimoi z5 PA (My Page) on Mon, Mar 3, 14 at 10:56

Wow, you are knowledgeable. Thanks for the information. Maybe you are watching a mature plant. I will watch this for a while and report any results in the months or even years to come :-)

Posted by quimoi z5 PA (My Page) on Mon, Mar 3, 14 at 10:56

I found a youtube video on optimara everfloris, here. Yes, those are large. More importantly, the light green edge fades as the flowers open completely, shown in the video.

But this smaller one also has the light green edge when flowers first open. I am guessing that this might be a new, unnamed optimara ...

Nice video and plants!
Joanne

Thanks for the video link. He has very nice violets and I will guess he is in the southern US. I had violets in my office but it got too cold for them in winter when the heat went low at night and weekends.

I passed up two of the Everfloris plants at Lowe's because they were so large. They both had green edges. One was very nice lavender-blue with green. The other was the dark blue-purple one but they were really big! They had that ruffled foliage. I'm a little bit sorry but they were really big.

Whatever your plant is, the main thing is that it's beautiful and you enjoy it.

Diana

Diana, his last everFloris, the pink/purple one, has leaves all hugging the pot. Do you know why they do that? Could it be too cold, too dark, too humid ...

Everglory was the last shown; I have this plant also and it does not hug, so I think Alcie's plant may be exposed to a bit too much light though some plants will hug if the temps are too cool.

Terri

Diana,

Optimaras are out of Nashville, Tn.

Linda

Yes, I know they are out of Nashville, I believe the poster of the video is from Louisiana though. (I did a little research.) Louisiana is very warm and humid, compared to many places in the U.S. for those unfamiliar with the states.

I think your question was answered here as well as I could respond. My research mostly gave cool temperatures but one source mentioned too much light. Since the plants are in an office, it is likely air conditioned. Sometimes one variety reacts to conditions that don't bother other ones.

Diana

This post was edited by quimoi on Tue, Mar 4, 14 at 17:16

HI
Jujujojo, All Optimaras are named. They are just not labelled with the name when you buy them at a local store. Many of their varieties are in that same color combination, so it is hard to know which one it is.

Diana, Glad to read your report on the Everfloris that was large. Seems like it would take up too much space in the average collection.
Joanne

This post was edited by fortyseven on Thu, Mar 6, 14 at 21:40

Is Degas actually red? It's always appeared more pink in the photos to me. I don't think it's the one I had. I think it was also a single. (I'm just asking about the color because I'm curious.)

Of course, those Everfloris might not have stayed as big at my house. I don't maintain greenhouse conditions :). O. Texas is a fair-sized plant here though.

Diana

Hi Diane, Degas is sort of a light cranberry shade of dark pink. The Optimara description calls it red but their descriptions
are basic, generalized, not detailed. The same florist also had Gaugin. Very pretty but had a thrips. It is from a local Calif grower. I emailed Optimara that violets here from 3 local growers have thrips. I ordered a leaf set of Ingrid, one of the new varieties on their website. Jo

This post was edited by fortyseven on Wed, Mar 5, 14 at 23:38

Ingrid looks very pretty. I once had one that I think was the artist's series but even after finding the photo, I don't know which one it was :). It bloomed like crazy and I finally just got tired of it.

Yes, they describe them rather loosely, IMO.

Some people think they are dull, but it's not much fun to get a fancy one that doesn't grow well for you.

Diana

Diana, Yes, I agree.

This post was edited by fortyseven on Thu, Mar 6, 14 at 21:42

The AV has adjusted to my environment now. The blooms continues.

Picture taken under lamp at night:
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Picture taken under house light only at night
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Picture taken during the day
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It is lovely! Good job and thanks for the photos!
Joanne

It is looking happy. You may find that the amount of pink/red changes with the seasons.

Diana

Okay, it is in minor blooming cycle now. It is the one on the right. The flowers look different now ...

{{gwi:361726}}

{{gwi:361728}}

{{gwi:361731}}

{{gwi:361733}}

{{gwi:361736}}

They are looking good! My Lowe's had quite a few last week although they were all tired looking. It would be easy to mistake some for another if they weren't side by side. I think I got Rita but there was a bright pink thumbprint and yours looks like it. I think it is Anika (what I've seen).

I got one that I thought must be Degas but would have called it a pale lavender - definitely not red. The color wasn't strong on it.

Nice growing!

Diana

â¢Posted by quimoi z5 PA (My Page) on Mon, May 12, 14 at 16:26

Some say it is Optimara Degas II.

They could be right but then mine isn't Degas .

Diana