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African Violet Queen Story
How a simple social prescription helped a depressed, homebound aunt become the African Violet Queen.
(About 1 minute read)
In the 1950s, a man asked therapist Milton Erickson to visit his single, wealthy, and homebound aunt. Once active and generous in her church, a wheelchair-confining illness had left her isolated and depressed.
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Erickson, who used a cane due to polio, was relatable to her. During a tour of her large, empty, and dark home, he discovered one area of light and joy - her greenhouse full of the African Violets she propagated.​
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​Erickson suggested she use her talent to reconnect with her church and community by gifting her plants during significant events like marriages, deaths, and graduations. ​​
​Acting on Erickson's advice transformed her life. By using her gardening strengths and love for her community, she became known for her kind gestures. Finding connections and purpose through sharing her gifts significantly improved her mental health.
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At the time of her death, 1,000s of people mourned her passing, which caught the attention of the local press, who affectionately dubbed her the "African Violet Queen."
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When asked why Erickson prescribed this activity, he replied, “ I looked all around her life. Everything looked depressing. The only sign of life I could see were those African violets. I thought it would be easier to grow the African violet parts of her life than to weed out the depression.”
