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
Violas grow throughout the world’s temperate regions. from the mountains of New Zealand to the subarctic. North America, the Andes, and Japan have the greatest concentration of species.
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 violets by visiting our Northwest Natives Viola page.
Perennial species are mostly very hardy and grow easily in shade. Annual bedding pansies and violas will do well in either 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, along with 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 ones during the cooler fall weather.
Violas are relatively pest and disease free plants. Due to the cool, wet weather in Portland, slugs, powdery mildew, and botrytis can damage them. Viola odorata is susceptible to a virus transmitted by aphids.
Perennial violas are the smaller cousins of pansies, and they’ll bloom almost year-round in the Portland metro area. These dainty plants fit well in mixed containers hanging baskets. They’re also 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, have used violets 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, and pâté. Violets are also made into sweet syrups that are used for making candy, baked goods, and liqueurs. Violet essence can flavor soufflés and similar desserts. Candied or crystallized violets, often used to decorate desserts, are flowers preserved by a coating of sugar syrup. Producers still make candied violets commercially at Toulouse, France, where they are known as violettes de Toulouse.
Violets have been used medicinally, as their blooms, leaves, and roots are high in vitamins A and C.
Their blossoms retain their color and shape when pressed, making them an ideal flower for arts and crafts projects.
