Are you concerned that your home’s air isn’t humid enough for your African Violet? It’s an understandable worry. Dry winter air is tough enough on your skin – and your Saintpaulia is built for moist tropical rainforests. So how much humidity do African Violets need to thrive? And how can you make sure they get it?
African Violets are happiest with a relative humidity of 70-80%, but they should stay healthy if it’s above 50%. The simplest and most effective way to maintain these levels is with a humidifier. Placing several African Violets or other tropical plants close to each other also boosts humidity.
We’ll review the best ways you can increase the humidity around your African Violet – and explain which techniques are less effective. We’ll also explain how to tell when your Saintpaulia needs more humidity. Scroll on to learn how to keep your African Violet humid and happy.
What Happens to African Violets in Low Humidity?
Like all non-aquatic plants, African Violets move water through their bodies using a process called transpiration. It’s driven by the evaporation of moisture from tiny pores, or stomata, in the leaves. As the vapor flows out of the foliage, it pulls more up from the roots. It works on the same principle that lets you drink through a straw.
Lower concentrations of water in the air speeds up evaporation and transpiration. And if the humidity is too low, the leaves may dry out faster than the roots can replenish them.
Some plants have adaptations to put the brakes on transpiration in dry conditions. But African Violets don’t have to worry much about humidity in their native environment. They grow in the steamy jungles of Tanzania and Kenya, where the air stays moist and warm year-round. So they haven’t evolved many defenses against dry air.
On its own, low humidity is unlikely to kill your African Violet. But it will hamper growth, limit blooms, and mess up the plant’s natural beauty.
Diagnosing Low Humidity in African Violets
When African Violet leaves dry out too quickly, they get brown and crunchy at the edges (the parts farthest from the roots). The sides of the leaves may also curve upwards, creating a “spoon” shape. Not all varieties do this, though, and some cultivars have naturally cupped leaves.
The blooms can also get brown and crispy if the humidity is too low. And your African Violet’s flower buds may not open at all in dry air. If they do bloom, the flowers are often smaller than normal.
Several other problems can also dry out your plant’s leaves, such as:
- Underwatering. If the soil seems dry and caked, you may not be watering frequently enough. Always water your African Violet as soon the top inch of soil dries out.
- Overwatering. Letting the soil stay soggy can be a problem too. Plants in wet soil may develop root rot, which will also discolor and shrivel the leaves.
- Sun scorch. Your plant’s leaves will get burned and dehydrated if they’re exposed to direct sunlight. Make sure your African Violet isn’t sitting too close to a south or west-facing window.
- Fertilizer burn. A buildup of mineral salts can pull water away from the roots, causing symptoms that resemble humidity issues. You should occasionally give your African Violet a heavy watering from the top of the soil to flush away extra fertilizer.
Check on all of your plant’s growing conditions when it’s looking dehydrated, not just the humidity. If your African Violet is suffering from one of those other conditions, boosting the moisture won’t help.
Monitoring Your African Violet’s Humidity
You generally can’t go wrong if you keep the humidity around your African Violet above 50% at all times. You can keep track of this with an affordable tool called a hygrometer.
Check the humidity more often during the winter, as well as on particularly hot and sunny summer days. Your African Violet’s humidity needs go up when it’s warm or when it’s growing fast.
Saintpaulias are also especially vulnerable to low humidity after you’ve transplanted or propagated them. The roots take time to recover from stress, so the plant will find it harder to compensate for moisture loss. Be very attentive to your African Violet’s humidity for the first few weeks after repotting it.
How to Keep Your African Violet Humid
Here are a few ways to protect your African Violet from dry air:
Humidifiers
An electric humidifier is the easiest way to help your plant stay moist. We’re big fans of this heavy-duty model. You won’t have to refill it very often, and you can use it to keep even large rooms moist. And because it can shift between warm or cool mist, it can help protect your African Violet from cold in the winter.
Even a small humidifier like this one will help a lot if you need something more budget-friendly. You’ll have to put it closer to your plants since it won’t regulate the whole room. But it should still keep your African Violet’s leaves moist. We have a more detailed guide on using humidifiers for houseplants here.
Plant Clusters
If you have lots of plants, you can use them to humidify each other. Keeping all of your African Violets (and any other tropical plants you own) in one spot creates a moister micro-climate. Since they’re all releasing moisture at the same time, the relative humidity around them gets higher. It’s like you’re creating a miniature jungle in your home!
If you try this method, make sure you’re still leaving some space between your plants. African Violets need a bit of airflow to avoid problems with pests and fungus. Most other plants feel the same way.
Pebble Trays
A pebble tray can also slightly raise the moisture level in the air. To create one, place a layer of gravel in a shallow tray and fill it with water. Make sure the rocks are poking out above the waterline. Then set your African Violet’s pot on top. This reservoir will slowly evaporate and moisten the air.
Note that pebble trays have only a very minor effect. And the farther below the leaves they sit, the less helpful they are, since vapor quickly disperses out to the sides. Pebble trays work much better when combined with the plant clustering method than as a standalone technique.
Placing tall glasses of water in between your African Violets is even better. The moisture will be closer to the level of the leaves when it evaporates. That means it won’t have as much time to spread out and escape.
Terrariums
Humidity-loving plants like African Violets can do very well in glass terrariums. The walls block moisture from escaping, so you’ll never need to worry about your plant’s humidity again. However, you’ll need to be very careful about overwatering.
If you like this idea, check out our detailed guide to growing African Violets in terrariums. Here’s a brief summary of the important points:
- Choose a clear, wide container with a large lid
- Use loose soil with good drainage
- Avoid letting your African Violet’s leaves touch the glass
- Place a layer of gravel at the bottom for a slight buffer against overwatering
- Add more water only when you notice the soil drying out
- Let a little moisture evaporate if the glass gets too foggy
- Keep the terrarium out of direct sunlight
You can create a temporary “terrarium” by placing a large plastic bag or a glass jar over your African Violet. This is a good way to provide some extra humidity after transplanting your Saintpaulia to a new pot. To find the step-by-step instructions, read How to Set Up a Terrarium for African Violets.
Do African Violets Like To Be Misted?
Many indoor gardeners mist their plants with a spray bottle in an attempt to boost humidity. However, we don’t recommend this for African Violets.
First of all, it’s just not very effective. Misting creates a brief burst of humidity, but it quickly dissipates. Unless you can sit around spritzing your plants every 10-15 minutes, they won’t get much benefit.
Second, African Violets aren’t huge fans of having wet leaves. Cold water is especially bad, since it can shock and kill their cells and leave dead spots on the leaves. But even room-temperature water can be a problem if it forms large droplets on the foliage. This may allow harmful fungi to grow on the leaves, causing a deadly problem called crown rot.
Final Thoughts
Once you understand how much humidity African Violets need, you can use a few simple tricks to keep them happy. Humidifiers and plant clustering are our favorite methods. But if you like DIY projects, a terrarium can also be very effective. Whatever option you choose, your African Violet will almost always appreciate a bit more humidity.
