The title says it all

It's an African Violet. They prefer bright (you should see a diffuse shadow when you put your hand between the light source and the plant) indirect light, normal household temps (70s) and consistently moist soil. A little dry on top before you water and then a good soak. There are pots that water from below that work well and using 'wicks' to water from a reservoir is also popular.

CalPolygardener said: It's an African Violet. They prefer bright (you should see a diffuse shadow when you put your hand between the light source and the plant) indirect light, normal household temps (70s) and consistently moist soil. A little dry on top before you water and then a good soak. There are pots that water from below that work well and using 'wicks' to water from a reservoir is also popular.

Thank you! that makes a lot of sense; it is under a direct window, though south facing. any idea as to the preference for potting?

They don't require a big pot, large ones do fine in 6" pots. A lot of serious growers repot and remove about a third of the roots and soil and plant them deeper every 2 years or so. Check out the African Violet Society of America (AVSA) for lots more info. Watch out, they're addictive!

I'm not a "serious" AV grower but have had one for as long as I can remember, always in a smallish pot. I've always thought that people water AVs from the bottom because those fuzzy leaves can get discolored if water is allowed to sit on them, and the juicy leaf stalks snap off when you try to push them aside to avoid wetting them. That said, I do it both ways. I don't baby mine at all and it's always happy. Just snapped this pic — that's a southern window, glass blocks diffuse the light but the leaves have burned on occasion when the pot was too close to the glass. I doubt that would happen in San Francisco.