Question
QUESTION: I am new to AV. I bought some tiny starter about quarter size and one is now blooming. the plant has two different blooms. one is a double purple with ruffle white edge. The other is pink with dark purple spots. can the pink be reproduced and why does it have to colors. I really like the colors for both plants. will it stay this way or will it come back a different color when it blooms again.
I really dont know anything at all about AV,s Just thought I would give it a try and this is my first blooms.

ANSWER: Your plant is a fantasy.  Probably the plant is supposed to be pink with dark purple fantasy spots.  More than likely this will come back again.  I don't think the purple with white ruffled edge will come back.  It is sporting, or showing genes in its background and this will probably not come back.  Only time will tell.

African violets can be very facinating, can't they?

nancy

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: What exactly is a fantasy? I think it is really beautiful.can they be reproduced with a leaf.  Also, where is the best place to get study info on the internet.  I am hooked after getting this plant. Would like to get more but am on a limited budget. Thanks a lot.

Answer
A fantasy violet has a solid color with lines, dots, splashes of a different color on the flower.  Example:  Pink with splashes and dots of purple.  More unusual would be blue with pink puffs or splashes.

The terms splashes, puffs, dots, etc means small quantities of color on top of a solid color.

These fantasy plants are very unstable meaning when you put down a leaf for reproduction, chances are you will get the same flower as the mother plant.  But about one out of 6 might be solid purple like the splashes, or it could be solid pink.  These are called sports.

Sports are hightly desirable because it gives another plant genes to work with.  

Leaves are pretty inexpensive--anywhere from $1.00 to $3.00 but it is the shipping costs which is expensive.  One leaf in a box could be as high as $8.55 from Canada to anywhere in the US.

Nancy