What Saintpaulia species do you grow and prefer?

• Survey held in 2002 on the online discussion list AV International. People were asked what Saintpaulia species they currently grew and what Saintpaulia species they liked the most. Thank you to all who participated!



• The results are the combined answers of 8 people. Answers included both rooted leaves and plantlets as well as mature plants. A few unidentified species plants were given in the answers, but have not been included here.



• The favourite species varied a lot and one species could be both a favourite and the least favourite. Instead of presenting this information, a few comments on the performance of some species are published here. A special thanks to the AVI-members who gave me permission to quote them.

SURVEY RESULTS (species etc that people grow) • = various clones and variants Nine counts: S. velutina (mostly "Lite") Six counts: S. grotei • Five counts: S. ionantha • S. rupicola S. magungensis • Four counts: S. brevipilosa • S. orbicularis • Three counts: S. grandifolia • S. intermedia S. pendula • S. shumensis S. tongwensis Two counts: S. diplotricha • S. 'House of Amani' S. nitida S. 'Sigi Falls' One count: S. confusa S. goetzeana S. teitensis

A few comments on the performance of some species: "My favourite has to be S. gotezeana - merely because I've been able to keep it alive." "S. orbicularis grows quite large and unruly. I like the light green leaves and light blue blooms." "I have the most luck growing S. grandifolia 299. It has won Best in Show for me and the Philadelphia Species Award on three separate occassions." "My favourite perhaps is S. shumensis, it is a little cutie, light green foliage with tiny bristles, easily kept single crowned and isn't too vigorous. The flowers don't fall off so quickly either." Undetermined species.