Viola flower

Viola flower

Halo Violet perennial viola is an outstanding selection that shows off rich purple flowers all spring long. It offers great heat tolerance, so it will flower longer than many other varieties on the market. It grows 10 inches tall and 12 inches wide. Zones 5-9

Viola, Perennial (Viola spp.)

Perennial violas look a lot like their cousins, pansies. But, perennial violas offer the benefit of coming back year after year, adding early-season color to the garden, as well as lots of curb appeal first thing in the season when relatively few other plants bloom. Perennial violas bloom in a wide range of colors, and have a soft, old-fashioned feel that makes them ideal for use in cottage gardens. Because these spring flowers are low growing, they’re excellent choices for the front of the border or lining walkways and sidewalks. Hardiness varies by variety; if you live in an especially cold-winter area, be sure to check the hardiness before planting.

Viola, Perennial Growing Instructions

Grow perennial violas in full sun (at least 6 to 8 hours each day) or partial shade. Most varieties can grow quite well in shade, but don’t bloom as profusely. Water perennial violas enough to keep the soil moist, but not wet. Though these spring-flowering plants can tolerate some drought, they look better — and bloom better — with regular watering.

If you have average or good soil, you don’t need to fertilize perennial violas. You can fertilize if you wish, however — using any general-purpose garden fertilizer. Follow the directions on the product packaging. Topdressing your soil with compost each year will also help perennial violas to thrive.

Because violas are cool-weather-loving early-spring flowers, a layer of mulch over the soil around them can keep them happy and blooming later into the spring or early summer. A 2- to 3-inch-deep layer of mulch helps keep the soil cool and moist.

  • Water Medium water needs
  • Light Outside: Part sun Outside: Shade Outside: Sun
  • Colors Blue Pink Purple Variegated White Yellow
  • Special Features Fragrant flowers/foliage Super-easy to grow

Complement your Viola, Perennial

Dianthus, Perennial
Perennial dianthus is another low-growing plant that looks lovely interplanted with perennial violas.

Coreopsis
Complement perennial violas with coreopsis. Early varieties of coreopsis will pick up blooming when perennial viols begin to fade.

Delphinium
Accent perennial viola with the beautiful blue, pink, or white flowers of delphinium.

Our favorite varieties

Celestial Northern Lights

Celestial Northern Lights

Viola cornuta ‘Celestial Northern Lights’

Celestial Northern Lights perennial viola shows off delightful purple flowers accented with warm orange markings. It blooms all spring and into summer. Celestial Northern Lights viola grows 10 inches tall and 12 inches wide. Zones 5-9

Halo Violet

Halo Violet

Viola cornuta ‘Halo Violet’

Halo Violet perennial viola is an outstanding selection that shows off rich purple flowers all spring long. It offers great heat tolerance, so it will flower longer than many other varieties on the market. It grows 10 inches tall and 12 inches wide. Zones 5-9

Etain

Etain

Etain is an outstanding perennial viola that bears soft creamy-yellow flowers edged in purple. It has has a wonderful fragrance. Like other perennial violas, it blooms in spring and early summer. It grows 8 inches tall and wide. Zones 5-8

Halo Sky Blue

Halo Sky Blue

Viola cornuta ‘Halo Sky Blue’

Halo Sky Blue perennial violet has large lavender-blue flowers in spring and early summer. It grows 12 inches tall and wide. Zones 5-9

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viola

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wood violet

downy violet

viola, (genus Viola), genus of about 500 species of herbs or low shrubs in the family Violaceae, including the small solid-coloured violets and the larger-flowered, often multicoloured violas and pansies. Members of the genus Viola occur naturally worldwide but are found most abundantly in temperate climates, the greatest variety occurring in the Andes Mountains of South America. Many are cultivated for their attractive flowers.

Physical description

floral symmetry

Viola species may be annuals or perennials. Because Viola freely hybridize, however, it is often difficult to identify their species. The flower, variable in colour but not red, usually grows singly on a stalk and has five petals, four arranged in unlike pairs, the fifth with a spur. The leaves may grow on the same stalk as the flower (stemmed violets) or on separate stalks (stemless violets). Though the best-known Viola species have heart-shaped leaves, the leaves of other species may have different shapes.

Typically, the plants grow in meadows or damp woods. All wild species bloom early in the spring, but some cultivated varieties bloom later. Many species have two types of flowers. One type is showy and appears in the spring but often does not produce seeds in some species. The fertile, less conspicuous flower appears in early summer and is completely closed and self-fertilizing.

Major species

common blue violet

Among the most common North American species are the common blue, or meadow, violet (Viola sororia) and the bird’s-foot violet (V. pedata). The common blue violet grows up to 20 cm (8 inches) tall and has heart-shaped leaves with finely toothed margins. The flowers range in colour from light to deep violet, or they may be white. The bird’s-foot violet, a perennial named for its deeply cleft leaves, has variably coloured flowers, with lilac and purple combinations.

Species of Viola have been widely cultivated in gardens and nurseries. The popular florist’s violets, consisting of several hybrids (many of them V. odorata), are usually called sweet violets.

garden pansy

The pansy (V. ×wittrockiana) is a hybrid that has been grown in gardens for centuries. The tufted pansy, or horned viola (V. cornuta), is the parent of numerous forms of bedding pansies. The wild pansy (V. tricolor), also known as Johnny-jump-up, heartsease, and love-in-idleness, has been widely naturalized in North America.

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The so-called African violet (Saintpaulia ionantha) belongs not to Violaceae, in the order Malpighiales, but to Gesneriaceae, in the order Lamiales.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello.

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