Sweet violet: sowing in the garden & profile
Sweet violet enchants with its delicate flowers and fragrant scent. Read on to learn everything you need to know about the varieties, choosing a location, and sowing.
Sweet violet (Viola odorata) is a low-maintenance, fragrant perennial that is especially well-suited for planting beneath woody plants. In this profile, you will discover everything about the sweet violet, including how to grow and care for it, as well as its healing properties.
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Sweet violet: flowering time, origin and properties
Sweet violet belongs to the Violaceae family and is related to horned pansy (Viola cornuta) and garden pansy (Viola x wittrockiana). Also known as English violet or garden violet, sweet violet was used as a fragrant and medicinal plant, as well as an incense for honouring various deities in ancient times. This plant made its way to Central Europe in the early Middle Ages. Garden violets are native to the Mediterranean region, the Caucasus, and as far as Iran.
Sweet violet is a hardy, evergreen perennial that grows to a height of 10 – 25 cm. Thickened rhizomes form underground, which allow the sweet violet to overwinter. The leaves of the sweet violet sit together in a basal rosette. They are round, oval or kidney-shaped and stalked, with slightly notched edges.
Sweet violet blooms from February to May, depending on the variety. Some varieties such as the viola odorata ‘Queen Charlotte’ even bloom a second time in August. The fragrant flowers grow from leafless stems and can be white, yellow, pink or blue-purple and have five petals. They provide nectar and some pollen to the first bees and other pollinators in the cold spring months.
The sweet violet’s roundish, brown seeds form after pollination in round, three-part seed pods that burst open when ripe. Sweet violet seeds have a nutrient structure called an elaiosome that attracts ants for dispersal. They drag the seeds into their burrow and feed on the casing. The seed inside is considered waste and is deposited outside the anthill in a kind of landfill. Here, the plant finds a safe haven from plant pests, as well as nutrient-rich fine soil and thus ideal germination conditions.
The most beautiful Viola odorata varieties
The sweet violet varieties differ not only in the colour of their flowers, but also in how big they grow, when they flower, and how intense their sweet fragrance is. Here are the most beautiful varieties of sweet violet:
- Viola odorata ‘Alba’: white sweet violet with delicate fragrance. The flowers of this 10 – 15 cm high variety bloom between March and May.
- Viola odorata ‘Coeur d’Alsace’: very vigorous sweet violet cultivar with graceful pink flowers. Plants grow up to 15 cm tall. The flowering period is between March and May.
- Viola odorata ‘Diana Groves’: sweet violet with rare, raspberry red colour. Grows up to 10 cm tall. The flowering period is between April and May.
- Viola odorata ‘Donau’: this variety has exceptionally large, blue-violet flowers on long stems and a strong fragrance. The robust and vigorous sweet violet ‘Donau’ grows 10 – 15 cm tall and blooms between March and May.
- Viola odorata ‘Queen Charlotte’: has a strong fragrance and flowers twice, once in spring and again in late summer. The Viola odorata ‘Queen Charlotte’ has beautiful deep purple flowers and grows up to 15 cm tall. Also known as Viola odorata ‘Königin Charlotte’.
- Viola odorata ‘Madame Armandine Pages’: old French cultivar from 1900 with large, long-stemmed whitish pale pink flowers. The flowering period is from March to April.
- Viola odorata ‘Melanie’: sweet violet with large candy pink flowers. Blooms from March to April and reaches a height of 15-20 cm.
- Viola odorata ‘Orchid Pink’: this very early flowering variety blooms from February to March with large pale red-purple flowers with purple veining in the centre. It grows to a height of 20 – 25 cm.
- Viola odorata ‘Princesse de Galle’: slightly fragrant sweet violet hybrid with dark purple, very large, wide open flowers between March and April. The variety is strong-growing and grows up to 15 cm tall.
- Viola odorata ‘Reine de Neiges’: this sweet violet has white flowers with a blue tinge and was developed from the ‘Queen Charlotte’ variety. The strong-growing and healthy variety propagates well and also blooms twice a year like the mother variety.
- Viola odorata ‘Sulphurea’: sweet violet variety with rather weak growth and filigree, orange-yellow to sulphur-yellow flowers with purple tips. Flowers between March and May.
- Viola odorata ‘Wismar’: heritage sweet violet seedling from Wismar ca. 1895 with white-pink and purple flowers. This bright variety spreads very easily and grows 15 cm tall. Flowers from March to May.
Sowing sweet violets: where and how
Sweet violets thrive in light shade, partial shade, or full sun in cool, moist conditions. The soil should be loamy, nutrient-rich, and free of waterlogging. English violets are sensitive to heat and drought. They are, however, ideal for planting as a loose, wild, self-seeding sweet violet meadow under strong-growing and shading woody plants such as roses (Rosa), tree peonies (Paeonia), or hedges.
Sweet violets can be grown from seed or as perennials. These undemanding scented perennials are widely available in nurseries. Growing Viola odorata from seed, on the other hand, takes a lot more time. If you want to sow sweet violets, keep in mind that they need to be cold stratified. They require a prolonged cold period in order to germinate, which naturally occurs in winter. Sow sweet violets between September and March. Sow the sweet violet seeds about 0.5 cm deep in a low-nutrient substrate, such as our Plantura Organic Herb & Seedling Compost, and moisten.
- Perfect for herbs as well as sowing, propagating & transplanting
- For aromatic herbs & healthy seedlings with strong roots
- Peat-free & organic soil: CO2-saving composition
Following that, carry out a cold treatment for four to six weeks at temperatures from – 4 to + 4 °C. To do this, place the seed trays in the refrigerator or simply outside in the winter. English violets germinate in the spring when temperatures rise to 5 – 10 °. Even when grown indoors, do not keep the seeds any warmer than this. The sweet violet can then be transplanted outside after a few weeks.
Sweet violet is a popular plant for balconies and terraces due to its low growth height and low care requirements. English violets are generally very sensitive to waterlogging, so good water drainage is essential. Even during heavy rain, a drainage layer in the bottom of the planter made of gravel, sand, or expanded clay will keep water from pooling. A nutrient-rich flower compost, such as our Plantura Organic Flower Compost, is ideal for planting. The peat-free substrate’s nutrient composition is specifically tailored to the needs of flowering plants and nourishes them during the first few weeks after planting. The high compost content retains moisture and releases it as needed to plant roots.
- Perfect for all flowering plants in garden beds & pots
- For beautiful blossoms & healthy plant growth
- Peat-free & organic soil: CO2-saving composition
Sweet violets are typically planted in small groups of three to ten. If you want to create a beautiful flowering ground cover, plant around 16 plants per square metre. Since most varieties self-seed abundantly, the ground cover will naturally become denser in suitable locations over time. Mature perennials are often at least as wide as they are tall. So, space sweet violets 20 cm apart when growing them in a flowerbed. Using a hand trowel, dig small holes and place the sweet violets inside, no deeper than they were previously sitting in the pot. After planting, water thoroughly.
Viola odorata care
Sweet violets are easy to care for if they are planted in the right spot. Water sweet violets as soon as the soil begins to dry out during hot, dry periods. Put a layer of mulch around the sweet violets to reduce evaporation and keep the soil surface moist and cool. Fertilisation is usually not necessary. In spring, work some mature compost or a primarily organic slow-release fertiliser such as our Plantura Flower Food into poor soils. When sweet violets are planted beneath woody plants, the fertiliser will take care of both plants. Take care not to damage the roots or rhizomes.
Are sweet violets hardy? Sweet violets are hardy down to – 20 °C and tolerate even severe frosts outdoors without problems.
Are sweet violets edible or poisonous?
The sweet violet is edible, and its flowers are used to flavour sugar, salt and herb butters, or as a candied or raw decoration on desserts. The sweet violet’s roots and leaves are also not poisonous. An aromatic oil is obtained from the flowers, which is used in cosmetics and perfumes. The medicinal properties of Viola odorata are used in cough teas and for medicinal face washes. Sweet violet is used in homeopathy to treat respiratory diseases and wrist rheumatism.
- Perfect for flowering plants in the garden & on the balcony
- For healthier plants with beautiful & long-lasting blossoms
- Long-lasting fertiliser that is free from animal products - child & pet friendly
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