Jodi -

it is absolutely hopeless. There are 15000 registered varieties and probably the Home Depot plant is not even registered.

Love it, call it My Precious and enjoy the bloom. If you want to get a named cultivar, get one from a specialized AV vendor or from friends in AV club or on the AV show, and still sometimes mistakes happen.

Good Luck

Irina

Thanks, Irina... I was not aware there were that many varieties out there! Wow...

Well... I'll just enjoy the beautiful blooms, and the fact that it actually IS still blooming for me!

Thanks again for the info...

Jodi

Hi Jodi,
Just a word about your plant. Your pot is too big. The width of the pot should be no larger than 1/3 the size of the crown. Try to find a shallow pot. They look better and grow better in them.
And Irina is correct about an impossible task. AVSA has over 15.000 plants in their master variety list and this doesn't include the plants that have not been registered or sent in with names.
Fred in NJ

Jodi,
I just bought one very much like yours and it actually has a name!!! Mine is called Michelle Optimara. It is pink with five petals, two of them smaller than the rest. The petals have a dark red border and the leaves are a medium green -- not very dark nor yellowish. I can post a photo separately and we'll see how they compare.
Kryso

Sorry,
I tried taking a picture just now but it's night here and the flash distorts the color. I'll try tomorrow, unless you solve the puzzle sooner.
Krys

Jodi,
I believe it is called "Michelle Optimara" as krystyna1937 mentioned. I bought this particular african violet at a Wal-Mart several months ago. It had light pinkish petals with a light purple spotting all over the petals, had the same name krystyna1937 mentioned. That's the best answer I think someone can provide as there are, as mentioned previously, thousands of different varieties.

Elizabeth

Here's mine which was purchased as a Noid. My guess of Optimara Michele is as good as any. I just enjoy it's mass of blossoms and huge size. I'm glad to know it might actually have a name!
{{gwi:373254}}

Elaine

Goodmorning,
{{gwi:373255}}

Elaine,
You beat me to it. I believe we all have the same Michelle O. They're lovely. Here's mine; I got it at the supermarket!
Krys

Thanks to everyone who tried to help solve the AV mystery!

Actually, Fred, it's my poor photography that makes it look like it's the wrong size pot for my AV... and while it may be a taller pot than required, it's got a nice reservoir at the bottom and a slot for bottom watering, which works out perfectly. If you could see the plant in person, you'd realize that the plant is not sitting center in the pot, thus making the shot I took seem like the plant is swimming in that pot! Thanks, though... every little bit of info helps. :-)

The flowers on my AV are not a pink, but rather a violet with darker purple edges and tiny spot-like things on the petals. Exactly like the one Elaine posted, but more purple than pink. It's quite pretty, really. The leaves are a medium green. There are a couple of older leaves toward the bottom that are a bit yellowed, from age, I presume. I should cut them off.

This is the first AV I've had that has actually bloomed for me beyond the blooms that it came from the store with! I've had a few others, but they never repeated the flowers that they came with. I'd get them home, and they'd drop every flower and bud, and just be green. Green's not bad, but I think they're known more for their beautiful blooms! Not sure what I'm doing different this time, but whatever it is, it's working.

I keep it in an east window next to my amaryllis collection, feed it with dilute fish emulsion fertilizer, and water it from the bottom. I keep it rather moist, or I should say, I fill the pot's reservoir when it empties. I also remove the spent blooms and any leaves that die.

I do have a question for all you AV Experts... when the central stem becomes leggy and tall, what do you do? I never have any luck starting new babies from leaves, so that's not an option to obtain a new plant. I'd like to keep the original plant, but I don't know how to cure it's too tall stem. How do you guys handle them when they get leggy?

Jodi,

there is a wonderful site where all the basics of AV know-how are posted with tons of pics.

Look at the bottom of home page and check "long neck problem".

And the rest of them too.

Good Luck

Irina

Here is a link that might be useful: Rachel's Reflections

Thank you, Irena! I was not aware you could do that to an AV without hurting it! That's exactly the information I needed to help my poor little violet...

I'm off to read and then to cut back and re-pot! Thanks again!