Just call it Pretty

Primulina 'Xuan's Party Dress'

          I look at Asian Violets to see what is possible.  What characteristics are good and what two species could bring together in a hybrid.

          I've been following the flowering of Primulina 'Xuan's Party Dress'.  With today's flowering, we could be satisfied.

          Just call it pretty!

Does anybody grow Primulina in quantity?

Primulina production in Florida

       I visited this wholesale commercial greenhouse in Florida in January. Several hundred Hanging Baskets are progressing toward flowering to be shipped to northern garden centers.

What if you don't get enough flowers?

Primulina 'Xuan's Party Dress'

                                        Get more plants.

       I left the dead flower on to show that the third bud opens about when the first flower goes past.

Asian Violet with many small flowers

Primulina 'Xuan's Party Dress'

My second ‘Xuan’s Party Dress’ has two small light blue flowers and will have many more.

            This is more subtle that the modern African Violet.  But it is good enough to make you happy.

            This hybrid could be a commercial plant today.  60 years ago, African Violets were modest but dedicated hybridization improved them.

            Be happy for the Asian Violets we have today.

What a difference a day makes.

Primulina 'Xuan's Party Dress' - First Flower

                                         What a difference a day makes.

An Asian Violet, a windowsill, a flower...

Primulina ''Xuan's Party Dress'

There are many casual houseplant lovers.  Maybe they are 95% of the indoor plant owners who have a few plants.  There are 5% who really care and look for the new trendy plants and know their names.  Within that group are .01% who are dedicated hobbyists who support hobby societies and study the plant world.

Commercial growers want to attract the 95% who like the ‘tried and true’ ---- Spider plants, snake plants and Philodendron.  The national mail order brand, The Sill, announced that their top selling houseplant for 2019 was Pothos.  Why?  Because it lives.

What if that ‘sure thing’ list included Asian Violets?  The pictured plants are Primulina ‘Xuan Party Dress’, an interesting new hybrid from China with a very different all silver leaf.  It lives on my kitchen windowsill and has decided to flower.

Seth Godin and others who promote ‘Word of Mouth’ marketing, keep it simple.  You must have something to talk about before it works.  If I were a causal plant grower, I would tell a friend that my Asian Violet is gong to flower, all by itself.

And I have.