Persian violet
Exacum affine
Also called German violet, Arabian gentian and Exacum
Houseplant · FloweringIt is an ANNUAL, so a plant that fades after four or five months of flowering has not been killed — it has finished. Deadheading extends the run by weeks and is the only job it has; buy a fresh one rather than nursing it.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Medium
- Water
- Every 4 daysKeep it moist — water at the first hint of dryness — don't wait for a dry pot.
- Light
- Bright indirect
- Feed
- Every 21 days
- Humidity
- Average to high
- Hardiness
- Indoors, or out in high summer RHS H1B, to 10°C
- Size
- 0.3 m tall · 0.25 m across
- Lifecycle
- Annual
- Origin
- Socotra
Is it safe for pets and people?
The florist's cyclamen is ALSO called Persian violet, and cyclamen is toxic to pets where this plant is not. If you are checking a plant somebody gave you, check which one you have: this is a small bushy plant covered in little purple stars, the cyclamen has swept-back petals over marbled heart leaves.
Nobody has checked this one against a source for us yet, so treat it as unknown rather than safe.
ASPCA lists Exacum affine by exact binomial, three times over — as "Persian Violet", "German Violet" and "Arabian Gentian" — as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses.
Checked against ASPCA on 2026-09-22.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- It fades and stops after four or five months of flowering. Nothing is wrong — it is an annual and that is its whole life. Deadheading buys weeks, not another year.Finishing · disorder
- Grey fur on spent flowers left on the plant, spreading into the stem beneath them. Pick them off as they go over.Botrytis on the dead heads · disease