Looks like "Millenia". Photo didn't show leaves very well but I think thats what it is.

From what I can tell, Millennia is red with white edge and this white with red edge. I think I found it in the 2017-18 Optimara catalog as being Harlequin.

Catalog:

Pretty close match!

Your probably right now that I look at it.

Maybe, but everything goes into to my catalog and on the pot with some kind of identifier. I like calling it Harlequin better than 'White/Purple Edge Ruffled Pansy', which is how I actually do identity some of my noids, lol. Learned that the hard way when I unknowingly gifted a non-blooming favorite of mine.

Now I just need a name to the face of the other plant I bought Friday. Right now it's called 'White Tip/Wide Purple-Red Eye'. Kind of slides right off the tongue. :-)

Well now here's the new scoop. Both of them going back to the store. Some kind of teeny tiny light color pests have appeared on a flower of one plant. The other plant had no sign of pests but there was fallen pollen inside a flower. So that's that and Good Riddance to them both.

So much for my happy Friday find. And such a sad ending to this violet story.

:-( <----That's me very bummed.

hmmm, so sorry for your sad Friday find. But,,,,,did you at least keep a leaf? Quarantine in a baggie is easy. Just sayin'. Rosie

No...I was really taken off guard and in a near panic I took them outside, bagged them, then thinking the bugs were outside the bag too, I bagged them again. Don't ask what I was thinking...I wasn't. My violet shrine had been invaded and now everything felt unholy. So I wiped down everything around the plants with disinfectant, then thinking the bugs were on me, took off my clothes and bagged those, and promptly took a shower. Finally I sat down, contemplated the whole mess, and swore off Lowe's forever.

Today I'm thinking not really. I'll probably be back to a different store this Friday. I had identified these plants as myCharm and Harlequin, and they on my scavenger hunt list now.

8> <---- That's me with binoculars.

And that's why people recommend removing flowers from any new plant you are bringing into your house - before you bring it inside. Then you need to isolate. I certainly hope those thrips didn't have a chance to venture further over the weekend, dviolet1. I'd keep an eye out on the rest of your plants if I were you.

I don't mean to be a wet blanket, but I've seen more than one posting here lately about finds at big box stores - accompanied by lovely photos of those new plants in bloom, obviously in the poster's home and sometimes next to other plants. You're playing russian roulette, people! It's OK to buy them, but you have to protect the rest of your AV's until you are sure there are no hitchhikers. Thrips are so very common in those stores.

Just sayin'.

Don't mind you saying so cause I totally agree with you Anne!

I am going to change my evil ways and hope it's not too late.

Well if everything catches thrips, you certainly will change your evil ways.

Thrips. I hate em. I don't buy or take home any plants any more that do not come either in leaf form or from a reputable buyer. Once home, they immediately get de-bloomed and put in the window of my spare room which is on the other end of the house from the plant racks. They stay there for at least a month, depending on the source of the plant.

If I ever see a plant in the quarantine area that shows signs of trouble, I dump it. I used to try to save them all but I made so much work for myself that I had to follow Irina's advice and just chuck em.

Just as an aside note, I buy my Optimara plants from Selective Gardener. They are usually a safe source of non-infected Optimara plants. Lowes, Home Depot and most of the other box stores are thrip breeding grounds.

A good many of the BBS don't even bother to water their plants, much less treat them with insecticide. If the plant dies, they write it off. They don't care if it dies from lack of water, care, disease or bugs.

I know not everybody has the means to adopt an attitude like mine but at this point, I would not care to think what it would take to put all my plants through a regimen of "Avid" treatments.

Just saying.

Good points Jeff! Rosie