George ... Cindy ... Rayanne.

With over 14,999 named varieties. Naming these would be like trying to count the grains of sand in an hour glass.

Oh yeah, one has to be Fred.

I think that's a standing mandate around here.

Glad you found a replacement for the one that violet theif pilfered.

Realize though, he/she probably can't steal just one. Then he/she will have to fence them ...

*will work for violets*

dave

Juju,

If you bought it at a big box store, it is probably an Optimara. Check their web-site to compare. If you don't find it there, its name is Fred.

Linda

Linda and Dave,
Thank you so much.

One question: I did google "African Violet Fred" and nothing comes up. What is the full name?

Try this:

Kingdom: Plantae (Plants)
Division: Angiosperms (Enclosed seeds)
Class: Eudicots (True dicotyledon)
Sub:class: Asterids (Clade)
Order: Lamiales (Too long to go into here)
Family: Gesneriaceae (Gesneriad)
Genus: Saintpaulia (African Violet)
Cultivar: "Fred"

I hope this helps!!! ;)

Linda

Posted by whitelacey 6 (My Page) on Tue, Aug 27, 13 at 2:50

Linda ...

AWESOME!!! (How did you do that???)

Linda

Well, I guess Y'all are playing jokes on each other!

jujujojo, anytime a violet does not have a name tag everyone on here names it Fred. There is no such violet with that name.

Your violet probably did come from the Optimara Greenhouses. Check on their website and see if you can match it up. At any rate this was a good laugh!

cyberdancer

We aim to please! ;)

well, i 'pose you could call it ... derF ...
...

ÃÂ.ÃÂ --~

evaD

Or Ferd-i-nan.

Idlna

Morning All,

Juju. Do you still have the original pot your AV was potted?

If so, check the pot for the 12-digit bar code. Once you find the number, enter the numbers on Google.

More often than not, the product name will display.

Sometimes, product name can't be found because it wasn't yet entered. Especially new products.

I've found many product names by Googling the bar code.

Although the flowers on your AV are very pretty, it's not true blue. :)
The color is light purple. Sorry about that.

I found a true blue AV at the grocery store, but it's in plant heaven.
Here's a pic.

{{gwi:368695}}

The photo doesn't do 'blue' color justice.

Anyway, I'm happy you found a very pretty, AV..Still sorry about your older plants being plant-napped. It's horrible the things people do these days!

Toni

Toni, is yours Optimara Annabelle?

The plant was in stress when at store. It was a little too dark, cold and dry. When I first bought it, the self-watering pot needs to be empty of water, most of the time (see first post). I observe my plants and know what they want. Now, the plant has thrived in my house. It is not in stress. It loves the warmth and light. Now, I fill up the outer pot. The plant loves it. The plant develops flowers and leave very fast. The leaves are fat and glossy, with a number of spikes growing up tall.

This is how the plant looks like on December 31, 2013:

{{gwi:70433}}

{{gwi:70434}}

{{gwi:70440}}

{{gwi:70435}}

{{gwi:371745}}

{{gwi:371746}}

{{gwi:70438}}

{{gwi:70439}}

I have one blooming that could be it's long lost cousin... Only, mine is all white so far... And it's name is nemo. Or was it Fred...
Meh, I bought it before I knew there was such a thing as named varieties... I distinguish mine by color, until I find some named ones.

Posted by froeschli 6b (My Page) on Tue, Dec 31, 13 at 16:59

If yours is all white now, you might try to drop the temperature a little. You could place it in a slightly cooler place. It worked for me.

I have always guessed the big store AVs never grow to nice large ones. But obviously, they do.

The only down side is that they seem to lack the fancy features of the ones ordered from specialty stores.

Your plant looks a lot like Optimara Montana II. It is supposed to be white but shades to blue with warmer temperatures. Here is a picture of mine taken in summer. Right now it is blooming white with a tinge of blue.

Here's mine, I disbudded everything except this one flower.
I was wondering if it might be Ontario, but it doesn't quite fit the description...

Now I am not sure anymore why I thought they looked that much alike...
Ah well.

I like your crocheted lace doily, TerriLou! Joanne

Thanks, Joanne. It's a treasured piece my grandmother made and makes a nice circular border for a display plant.

Terri

Do you have it wicked and set in a Corelle cereal bowl? Is that a thermometer or timer to the right? I do like doilies under violets! Joanne

The plant is on an inverted saucer. . . No wicking. And yes it is an old thermometer that I don't believe is too accurate anymore, but it's still around.

terrilou 5 Indiana,
I cannot start to thank you for the ID. It takes such a long time. Now, I have a question. How is Montana II blooming in blue different from Optimara Monet?

---------------------------------------------
Dave bragu 4a and Linda whitelacey 6,
Please see the identification by Terri.

As to the color differences between Montana in blue & Monet, it appears that Monet is of a darker color and its blooms are somewhat ruffled. So many Optimaras are similar in color & can look different at times. My plant should probably be labeled "sport of Montana II" because the blue is more prevalent than it should be; Optimara claims that many of their Montana II plants have been flowering blue/white instead of white.

Posted by terrilou 5 Indiana (My Page) on Tue, Jan 7, 14 at 22:20

Mine is actually more purple than my pictures show. I am not sure why they look more blue in pictures. But it is a very light purple. It is really beautiful!

I love the variations! It is vivid and lovely. Thank you so much.

jujujojo
The digital cameras and computer monitors cause the purple to look blue.
If I photograph my purple plants in daylight, they look more purple. If i photograph them under fluorescent light or with the camera flash, they look blue.
Hope this helps,
Joanne

Ok, in February, a new batch of blooms have opened on this same AV. This time it is all white. This is exactly the same plant.

{{gwi:371747}}

{{gwi:371748}}

The flowers are quite large. Don't you love the changing AVs?

{{gwi:371749}}

Hi
Thank you for posting.
I had asked a florist to get me a white Optimara for a friend, but when he got it,
I noticed that one of the petals had a tinge of blue.
I did not get it.
I believe it is the same one that you have, because I have seen some Optimaras in my area that are similar to the blue and white one and others that re more on the all-white side.
Anyway, white is very, very much in demand in my area this year, seems to be the current "fashion color" for most-wanted AVs. It looks lovely, well-grown. Congrats.
Joanne

My two plants of Optimara Montana that both bloomed blue & white in summer are both blooming all white. I expect they will be back to blue/white when warmer temps return.

Terri

If warmer temperatures ever return.

Linda

In the midst of yet another ice and snow storm.

I heard it is being referred to as "polar vortex"???

don't use "bad words" here please... -20C again... BRRR

mine (which i assume is the same variety) always bloomed white, then, last time, it showed little specks of purple, before deciding to rot its stem (i had scraped the neck and potted it further down - now i wonder if i scraped too much....)
anyhow, leaves and rest of crown are rooting again...

It's not so bad to get "two for one" plants as long as you like them both :) Nortex Snowkist Haven is a good single white. Optimara Ontario is supposed to be a good one although I found it kind of dull.

I'm debating on trying O. Glacier. The original violet looks familiar. I think I've seen it around. It's probably just being affected by cultural conditions but it's very pretty.

HI Karin
I am sorry, I did not realize it was a bad word. Someone here used it, in sympathy. I lived most of my life in cold weather, but nothing like what is going on now.

Someone suggests dusting exposed areas with cinnamon to help prevent rot.

Thanks, Diana, for mentioning Nortex Snowkist Haven.
I was also taken with Jersey Snow drops, Maybe because I am quite fond of New Jersey. They are on my list.

Joanne

I haven't seen Jersey Snow Drops in person, but if you watched the All About African Violets podcasts, it was on several of those. It is a nice looking white too.

There is a Ma's that some like...somebody will remember it, I'm sure. I think it is White Elephant.

Diana

Great podcasts! Probably was where I saw it. Thanks for the reminder. Joanne

Blooming in summer. This is not a major blooming only one flower stem.

{{gwi:371751}}

{{gwi:371752}}

{{gwi:371753}}

{{gwi:371754}}

{{gwi:371755}}

{{gwi:371756}}

{{gwi:371757}}