Viola: Pansies and Violet
Annual pansies and violas are an absolutely invaluable addition to winter and spring gardens. They provide mass color in borders and flower beds, and they’re perfectly suited for containers. Violets also make an exciting addition to edible gardens!
Plant care & info
Family: Violaceae
Genus: Viola
Common Name: Violet, Pansy
They are found in the most temperate regions of the world, from the mountains of New Zealand to the subarctic. The greatest concentrations of species are found in North America, the Andes, and Japan.
This well-known and much-loved genus includes over 500 species of annuals and perennials found in all the temperate regions of the world. Over 300 species are native to North America. Learn more about the native violet selection on our Northwest Natives Viola page.
Perennial species are mostly very hardy and easily grown in shade. Annual bedding pansies and violas will do well in sun or shade. Most annual varieties will tolerate at least light frosts, and many are fully frost hardy. All violas prefer moist well-drained soil.
To prolong bloom, regularly pinch off faded flowers (with some foliage) before they set seed. During the heat of summer, annual varieties will begin to look ragged. Remove leggy plants and replant with new in the cooler fall weather.
Relatively pest and disease free plants. Due to the cool, wet weather in Portland, they can be damaged by slugs, powdery mildew, and botrytis. Viola odorata is susceptible to a virus transmitted by aphids.
Perennial violas are smaller cousins of pansies that will bloom almost year-round in the Portland metro area. A dainty plant that fits in a mixed container or hanging basket, they are useful in planting beds, rock gardens, mixed borders, and as ground covers. Preferring cooler weather for best bloom, they often put on a good show in spring, and then again in the fall. They may even persist through a mild winter!
Most species are small, clump-forming plants with lobed, elliptical, kidney- or heart-shaped leaves. Remarkably, all Violas have similarly shaped 5-petalled flowers, with the lower petal often carrying dark markings.
Historically, violets have been used for aromatherapy in perfume and sachets—and this particularly true of Viola odorata. Their sweet fragrance is synonymous with the Victorian era.
You can also include them in an edible flower or salad-themed garden! Their brightly colored, velvety flowers make a beautiful addition to salads, cheeses, dips, pâté. Violets are also made into sweet syrup used in making candy, baked goods, and liqueurs. Soufflés and similar desserts can be flavored with the essence of violet flowers. Candied or crystallized violets, often used to decorate desserts, are flowers preserved by a coating of sugar syrup. Candied violets are still made commercially at Toulouse, France, where they are known as violettes de Toulouse.
Violets, whose blooms, leaves and roots are high in vitamins A and C, have been used medicinally.
Their blossoms retain their color and shape when pressed, making them an ideal flower for arts and crafts projects.
