The genus Saintpaulia (saint-PAUL-ee-a) was named by Herman Wendland, Director of the Royal Botanical Gardens at Herrenhausen, Germany in honor of Baron Walter van Saint Paul who discovered the plants while living in Usumbara, a province of Tanganyika (now Tanzania). There are 22 species of African Violets native to Tanzania and Kenya. The modern hybrids … Continue reading Saintpaulia – African Violet