Some Lyon's plants do that. It is just the way they are.
It is pretty, nice color Joanne

Joanne thanks, this pic shows the size of the bloom better. I had to hold it up to take the pic, as you can see its really big almost covering both of my fingers. Velleta

Some plants are like that. It's one of the complaints. I never had that variety, at least not until it bloomed.

However Arctic Frost can't hold up all its blossoms once they come out. The only thing I've considered is to prune it to one or two per stem (not the right word, I know). It gets three large blossoms per peduncle. They stand up until they all come out and get a little bit older. Other than that, sometimes you can kind of prop them on another part of the plant.

I know LL is a beautiful blossom.

Diana

The lilac-lavender color is lovely and hard to find. It looks like a newer plant. Once it grows more leaves and evens out in shape, it will probably have blooms evenly dispersed throughout the center of the crown. Some older varieties have long flower stems that are slender with blooms that cascade downward. Optimara developed thick, short flower stalks that stick up straight so there is a full head of bloom. But that is a recent development.
Probably closer to nature is the drooping style of LL. joanne

Thanks diana and joanne the plant is actually full of buds but covered by the leaves. I really love the colour too and I don't mind the blooms leaning I just wanted to know its normal. I am usd to th stalks being erect :) Velleta

The bloom stems (peduncles) on Arctic Frost are like tree trunks (almost) but the flowers are so big that they still get a little droopy. I think it's the size of the flowers that is the problem. It's actually the pedicel that attaches the blossom to the peduncle and I suppose weakness in either will make the flowers droop.

Anyway, it is just the variety. We either live with it or not.

Diana

Yup ...

I grew it for a few years and displayed it best by hanging it ... or setting it up on a higher shelf ... so that the open blossoms were visible from my vantage point.

Almost a constant bloomer ...

Thanks Aegis and Diana, as I said I love th plant as is, I just thought it unsual for th blooms to droop down like that I am no expert so I just wanted to know that's normal behaviour. Thanks again. Velleta

I have sometimes wondered if I could use something like those florist card stakes (with the prongs) and prop them up, especially for a photo. Of course, I don't have any.

It does seem to be the pedicels on Arctic Frost that give out. Maybe the heat doesn't help either.

These aren't the only varieties though. I recall seeing comments in the past about big doubles that wouldn't stand up. Anyway, glad to set your mind at rest. We can't feed them spinach or anything :)

Diana

Putting it on a higher shelf is a great idea. The vintage look is appealing for diversity. Joanne

Point taken, no spinach:) well don't hav a higher shelf so I guss I will just have to enjoy it as is. Thanks again everyone. Vellta

This is not what "vintage" looks like. I suppose some vintage varieties may do this but certainly not all or even most of them.

This is just an undesirable trait that we may tolerate because we like the blossom. I grow Fantasy Girl which is from 1952 and the blossoms stand up just fine. So do Navy Girl's (1954) (not fancy but upright).

Fredette's Sweet Jenny's aren't so good.

Diana

I think you misunderstand. Diana not vintage but VANTAGE point, it means where you will get a better look or better display of the plant. Velleta

I did say vintage as I thought this was an older variety. Thanks for the examples, Diana. I had some vintage plants years ago that bloomed similar to LL only not as large. Joanne

Yes, Joanne. I noticed the first time but I didn't want people thinking they had to put up with this in vintage plants and automatically avoid "vintage" for that reason.

I've never grown the species but they don't all droop like that. Maybe none of them do - there are a lot of them.

Of course, there are a lot more vintage plants now than there were 15 years ago too ;).

I see Lyons put out several more big ones this year. It would be interesting to know if they solved the problem. I've seen no one growing them.

Edit: When this began, I looked up LL because I knew it wasn't terribly recent. It is from 2006 (if memory serves). Not new but not that old either.

Diana

This post was edited by quimoi on Wed, Jul 16, 14 at 8:42

Diana, I poked around on the internet and found this plant tends to grow large, also, the blooms. Once Velletta's plant matures, the blooms might stand up more. Sometimes plants arrive from the grower unusually elongated due to crowded growing conditions. The leaves on this plant also look elongated. One year from now, it will probably look more normal. As you also mentioned, Lyon's added some hard to find older varieties such as Senk's. Some Lyon 's are listed as standard but can get large. Joanne

This post was edited by fortyseven on Thu, Jul 17, 14 at 0:42

A standard african violet is 12-16" which isn't exactly small. I do think it's just the habit and it won't change. I think aegis500 has quite a bit of experience and grew the plant for several years.

It's okay to like them but acknowledge their faults :) I had no idea Lyon's had started selling Senk's.

Diana

Lousiana Lullaby's bloom stems are long and thin, ... and the blooms are large, ... therefore the blossoms hang.

It makes an excellent hanging plant.

Perhaps if one gave the plant extra light the bloom stems would shorten ... ???

I've worked the opposite in some plants before ...

This post was edited by aegis500 on Wed, Jul 16, 14 at 19:38

Thanks again everyone, this is the first time its blooming and I do plan to remove the bottom row of leaves but they are still green so I am just allowing it to mature some more,and as I said I love th blooms and colour I just wanted to make sure its normal. I plan to remove the outer ring of leaves eventually leaving the more symetrical larger leaves, as shown in this pic. Velleta

In regards to LL's new introductions: I have Brother's Bond' and 'Sister's Secrets'. Their blooms are huge-especially BB's and they stand up well.

Linda

Many of my plants round themselves out in time without my having to do a lot of grooming. Joanne

Velleta,

Your violet looks like it could take a bit more light. This would tighten up the crown a bit and maybe shorten the length of the peduncle. Give it a try and see what happens!

Linda

Thanks linda, we are having summer now and the heat and sun iis very intence even in the north side, just yesterday I had to remove one of my violets to a shadier position it got sunburn or heat stroke. I had th same problem last year . So I am sort of timid about the sun right now ,but I will try to expose it to a bit more light if possible.thanks for evryone sugessions as always. Velleta

Velleta,

You may have to wait until cooler weather but I would try it to see what happens. It may just be the way that variety grows or immaturity but it would be interesting to see if a change would help.

Linda

Velleta,

You might find that very early morning sun is ok and not
too strong. Then every two days, move the plant to a more filtered location where it gets bring indirect light.
Or, bright light through a filtered curtain or blind in the summer is another possibility.

Joanne

Ok Linda and joanne will try and see the result thanks again.Velleta