Another Historic Day for Primulina

EIGC Booth - Primulina will be a common houseplant !

            History by definition is everything that has happened previously.   The significance of events is what people remember.  Ancient history is mostly guesswork and only comes to life if some enterprising author weaves a story from fuzzy facts.

            Computers with infinite storage have changed that.  Now, every event will be recorded forever.  The only thing left is:  ‘Does it matter?’ and ‘Does anybody care?’

            On July 26, 2016, Ellen Wells reported on Asian Violets (Primulina) as a possible new houseplant.  The original story in Tropical Topics is copied here:

Gary’s “Next Big Thing”

I keep asking about what folks think will be the “next big thing,” the next tillandsia or succulent trend. “Asian violets,” says Gary Hunter of Gary’s Specialty Plants in Drumore, Pennsylvania. Gary is in the miniature plant business and is a regional grower of small houseplants. His biggest business with small plants is through Longwood Gardens’ plant shop, where they sell hundreds of mini plants each week, all year long.

Gary’s latest project is working with these Asian violets, the common name for Primulina, a genus in the Gesneriad family. “Primulina are like African violets, but better,” writes Gary. “Primulina species and hybrids have been in the hobby world for years but have never been grown commercially.” The reason, he continues, is that these plants take up to a year to flower, eliminating them as a commercially viable flowering plant. “What I was missing was that they could be sold as a small, variegated foliage plant in 6.5-cm pots and fit with our assortment.”

That's Primulina Loki pictured above. Precious! Gary likes these Asian violets so much that he believes they’ll become as popular as African violets, if not more so. Not convinced? Check them out yourself at next week’s Eastern IGC Show at the Valley Forge Casino Resort outside of Philadelphia, where Gary will have a booth. Or check out Gary’s BLOG, which is full of great information.

            The significance is that this is the first known reference to Primulina in a commercial horticultural trade magazine.

         The commercial barrier has been broken and has been recorded here as a historic event.  The facts are preserved.

See us at EIGC - For the trade only

The Fourth Anniversary

Primulina grown as 'Mini' Plants

           I’m into the fifth year of writing this Blog.  Before I started I wrote about 30 stories because I was afraid that I would not have anything to say later.

            I’m sure that I am the only one who has read every story. (Now 243).  But with the power of ‘search’, the real significance is when a random stranger finds my obscure observations about something that they care about.

            The most significant viewer increase always comes when someone else refers their readers to my Blog.

            It’s what Seth Godin and other smart marketers have been saying:  Word-of- Mouth is the most powerful type of marketing.  We value our friend’s opinions.

            When I started, Streptocarpus and Sinningias were my focus.  Now it is Primulina and ‘Mini’ plants. 

            Streptocarpus and Sinningias are terrific, colorful plants, but they require a very precise commercial grower and a very adventurous buyer.

            Asian Violets, like an African Violet, but better, are much easier to produce and survive as houseplants.

Where are the Primulina?

Primulina ready for sale at Longwood Gardens

        These Primulina are available for sale at the Longwood Garden's Plant Shop now.

        Varieties are:  'Loki', 'Betty', 'Rachel', 'Piccolo', 'Aiko' and 'Naine Argente'.

An unlikely pair, Part II

Primulina 'Loki' with Snake Plant grown by Nadine

Here is Primulina ‘Loki’ keeping company with the indestructible snake plant.  Now in flower after spending the Winter inside, Nadine has moved it outside with some shade.  It’s eight months later from the Part I  picture.

Primulina will become a common houseplant.

Nadine's planter outside with some shade.

An unlikely pair

Snake plant with Primulina 'Loki' grown by Nadine

            Wouldn’t it be amazing if these two plants proved to be equally tough?

            The snake plant or Mother-in-Law’s tongue (Sansevieria zeylanica) was the original indestructible plant.  My Grandmother had them everywhere.  They wouldn’t die.

            Nadine planted Primulina ‘Loki’ with hers and I predict that it will be just as durable.

Whatcha gonna do with that reptile?

That Pet Place sales cart for vivarium plants

The pet business is huge.  People, young and old, want to have something living to care for.  If you are attracted to reptiles then you need an enclosure for them to live in your house.

            That Pet Place in Lancaster sells many types of reptiles and had a demand for plants suitable for their terrarium-like reptile habitats.

            A vivarium is an enclosure for keeping animals and plants under semi-natural conditions.

            So the management of That Pet Place was looking for a source of ‘Mini’ plants that their customers could use to build their own scene to simulate a natural environment.  They made a two shelve cart with LED lights and pebbled trays to display the plants.

            This has worked exceedingly well.  The plants are well kept and they’ve had rapid turnover.  They sell a lot of plants.