A. In 1984, Optimara launched 25,000 Optimara seeds into space aboard one of NASA's space shuttles. The seeds remained in space, for nearly six years aboard the Long Duration Exposure Facility. The program was conceived to test the effect of long-term exposure to cosmic radiation and lack of gravity. When the seeds were retrieved in 1990 and planted, the outcome was the EverFloris Violets which are supposed to be bigger and easier to grow, with larger, fuller blooms that flower continuously. Many times you will hear them referred to as space violets. There are currently four varieties of space violets; EverLove, EverPraise, EverHarmony and EverGrace.