Exacum

Growing in Pots, Balconies & Indoors

Exacum (Persian violet) is a compact, sweetly scented flowering plant that the grower confirms grows well indoors. Its small size and love of bright, indirect light make it a natural houseplant and a pretty container subject.

Quick Details

• Container Size: Small – a compact pot suits this low, bushy plant.
• Indoor Suitability: Yes – a good, well-known flowering houseplant.
• Best Spot: Bright, indirect light; part to full shade, out of harsh direct sun.
• Soil & Drainage: Rich, free-draining potting mix.
• Watering in Pots: Keep evenly moist – moderate to generous, never waterlogged.

Indoors & On the Windowsill

• Houseplant: Yes – a favourite indoor flowering plant, happy on a bright shelf or table out of direct sun.
• Light: Give it bright, filtered light for the best flowering; hot midday sun through glass can scorch it.
• Humidity: It appreciates a little humidity, so it dislikes sitting right beside a heater or air-conditioner.

On a Balcony or Patio

• Shade and shelter: On a balcony give it a bright but shaded, sheltered corner; avoid a hot, sunbaked wall.
• Watering: Check moisture often in warm weather – small pots dry quickly.

Choosing the Pot, Soil & Long-Term Care

• Pot & drainage: Choose a pot with strong drainage holes and skip a standing-water saucer, which invites root rot; terracotta breathes and dries quickly, while glazed or plastic hold moisture longer.
• Potting mix: Fill with a well-aerated, organic-rich medium – a good potting mix, or peat/coir blended with perlite or vermiculite for drainage.
• Feeding: Container plants run through nutrients fast because watering washes them out, so feed a little more often through the growing season than you would in open ground.
• Note: Often grown as a short-lived annual, so a fresh pot of mix each time keeps it at its best.

Bloom & Flower Guide

Quick Details

• Bloom Season: Spring through autumn (and much of the year as a warm indoor plant)
• Time to First Bloom: Fast — often sold and grown in flower, blooming in its first season
• Flower Appearance: Small saucer-shaped flowers with four to five petals and a bright yellow centre of stamens, in purple, pink, blue, white or blends
• Edibility: Grown as an ornamental — the flowers are not eaten

Detailed Blooming Overview

Persian violet forms a neat mound smothered in small, lightly fragrant flowers, each lit by a prominent boss of golden-yellow stamens against cool blue or purple petals. It flowers generously over a long season and is often grown as a gift or house plant.

Flower Characteristics

• Four to five rounded petals forming a shallow saucer.
• Purple, pink, blue, white or bicoloured, with a striking yellow centre.
• Softly fragrant and carried in profusion.

Bloom Care & Thinning

• Site for best flowering: Bright, indirect light and steady warmth keep the flowers coming.
• Managing the bloom: Deadhead spent flowers regularly to prolong the display.
• Pollination: Worked by bees and other insects when grown outdoors.