How to Grow and Care for Violet Flowers

About Growing Violet Plants in Your Home Flower Garden

Violet flowers are an early blooming plant, with an ‘Old World” charm all to themselves. They often bloom right alongside your mid to late spring bulbs. They are cool weather flowers. Violet plants herald in the new garden season with a wide variety of bright, brilliant colors. Growing Violets is easy. It is closely related to pansies and is a member of the Viola family. You will often find them growing in the wild.

Did you Know? Roses may be red, but violets are indeed violet. They are also purple, yellow, white, and bluish-purple.

Violet varieties include hardy annuals or short-lived perennials. Even annual varieties are often grown as annuals. Annual varieties often survive the first frost if it is light. They will not survive a hard frost or freeze.

Fill an area or entire bed with Violet for a striking spring effect! They also are great for windowsills or grow them in flowerpots on your balcony or patio.

These popular plants are popular in many states. They are the state flower of Illinois, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin.

Violet Flowers Plant Specifications

Flower Colors: Of course, there are a variety of shades of violet along with blue, cream, peach, pink, white, and yellow.

Flowers Bloom: Spring to Fall

Plant height: Four to ten inches tall. Most varieties grow less than six inches.

Ideal Soil pH: 6.0 – 8.0.

Plant Hardiness Zones: 3 – 8

Light Needs: Full sunlight to partial shade.

Toxic Plant?: No.

Deer Resistant? Somewhat.

Number of Species: Approximately 500 species.

Plant Type: Hardy annuals and Short-lived Perennials

Native To: Eastern North America.

Botanical Name: Viola spp.

Other Names: Bird’s Foot Violet, Mountain Pansy

Are Violet Flowers Edible

YES!!

Both the leaves and flowers are edible. It is high in Vitamins A and C.

Use the flowers and leaves in salads. Cook the leaves as greens. And, the flowers are used asa garnish or jellied.

Medicinal Uses for Violet Flowers

Violet plants are commonly used in traditional and home medicinal remedies. it is made into o tea or a syrup. Or it is eaten. Here are some of the medicinal applications:

Make a tea or syrup to ease sore throats and eliminate coughs.

Use it to treat respiratory ailments.

It treats swollen glands.

Use it for ear infections.

Light Requirements

In cooler, more northerly areas of the country, plant them in full sun. Also, they benefit from a little afternoon shade when the temperatures reach the high eighties or go into the nineties.

In hotter regions, grow these cool-weather plants grow best in partial sun to light shade.

Perennial Violet Plant Propagation

Violets are grown from seeds. They like full to partial sun. You can directly seed them into your flower garden. Or, start them indoors for transplanting later. For spring blooms, you need to start your Violet in pots and containers indoors six to eight weeks before the last frost.

Sow Violet seeds early in the season and cover lightly with 1/8″ soil. Water thoroughly once. They germinate slowly.

Transplant Violet plants into your garden after the last frost date for your area. Space them 6 to inches apart. They will tolerate a little crowding. If you are creating a flower bed, you may want to create a pattern or color scheme before planting. Or, use mixed varieties.

Final Plant Spacing: Space plants 6 to 8 inches apart.

Days to Germination: Seeds sprout in 10 – 14 days.

About Seed Germination

How to Grow Violet Flower Plants

Planting location and soil needs:

Violet plants prefer cool to somewhat warm climates. They wilt a bit in mid-summer heat. In warmer areas, we recommend planting them in partial shade. Select a planting location accordingly.

The plants grow best in rich soil. However, they tolerate a variety of soils. Mix compost into the planting site. After planting, apply a light application of general-purpose fertilizer. Then, water the planting site.

Once your Viola plants are established, they should grow well, even if left unattended.

Fertilizer needs:

Apply a general-purpose fertilizer once a month during the growing season. As buds begin to appear on the plants, switch to a fertilizer high in phosphorus during the blooming period.

As Fall nears and the weather begins to cool, apply another dose of fertilizer high in phosphorus. This helps to promote new blooms in the Fall.

Water needs:

Keep the soil evenly moist, but not wet. Water them during dry periods, once or twice per week.

The plants are tender and do not like dry soil.

Other steps:

Keep them well weeded.

Also, apply a light layer of mulch to help retain soil moisture.

Pruning

These small plants need little or no pruning. Simply remove any dead, or diseased leaves as you spot them.

Remove spent Violet flowers to promote additional blooms and extend the blooming period. This will also keep the appearance neat and beautiful. More on deadheading flowers.

Growing Viola Flowers in Flowerpots and Containers

Violets are small, flowering plants. This makes them perfect for growing in flowerpots and containers on your patio or deck. And, they look fabulous in windowsill planters.

In addition to the how-to grow steps above, here are a few additional steps for growing them in containers:

Violet flowers tolerate a little overcrowding. So, you can grow them in containers a little closer than the normal recommended spacing.
Select a sunny or partially shady location on your patio or deck.
Deck and patios often get hotter than in your flower garden. In hotter weather, you can move the planter into shade in the afternoon.
It is important to have a drain hole in the container to allow excess water to drain from the pot.
The plant grows best in evenly moist soil. Keep an eye on the moisture level. Check the plants every few days, especially in extended periods of hot, dry weather.
When watering the plants, thoroughly wet the soil. Excess water will drain through the hole in the bottom of the flowerpot.
Nutrients in a flowerpot are limited. So, use fertilizer spikes to feed the plants. Or, apply a light solution of liquid fertilizer once a month.

Insects and Plant Disease

Violet plants seldom have problems with insects and disease. If insect or disease problems occur, treat early with organic or chemical insect repellents and fungicide.

Also see: Plant Problems – Identify the causes and find the cures.

Overwintering Perennial Violet Flowers

After the first killing frost, Violet plants die off. Pull up annual plant varieties and put them into your composter.

Perennial Violets are hardy and usually do not need any special steps to prepare them for overwintering. However, a layer of mulch will protect the roots in areas that have very cold winters.