Care of the plant Viola odorata or Common violet |
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The genus Viola, family Violaceae, comprises 500 species of herbaceous plants native to almost all continents. Some species are: Viola odorata, Viola arvensis, Viola cornuta, Viola tricolor, Viola pedunculata, Viola x wittrockiana, Viola hirta. Common names: Common violet, English violet, Florist's violet, Garden violet, Sweet violet, Wood violet. This species is native to Europe and Asia. They are small perennial plants with a creeping bearing with heart-shaped leaves with long petioles. The scented flowers appear on long peduncles, have 5 petals and can be blue, purple, pink, white, lilac, etc. They bloom in late winter and sometimes in autumn as well. They are used to cover understory areas under trees or shrubs, in beds, on curbs and in pots. They can be used for cut flower when the flowers have opened. Viola odorata needs a semi-shade or shade exposure. They resist the cold but the frosts do not suit them. The soil can be normal, well-drained garden soil with plenty of leaf mulch or manure; they resist calcareous soils. Planting is done in late summer or early fall. They do not resist drought. Water 2-3 times a week in summer; the rest of the year water regularly avoiding the substrate to dry out completely. They are easy to grow plants that do not need fertilizers; a fertilization with compost is sufficient at the time of planting. They do not need pruning but you have to control their lateral growth. Sometimes they can be attacked by aphids and other insects but they are quite resistant to pests and diseases. They are propagated by division in early autumn or late spring or by rooting the stolons that the plant produces to spread horizontally; Once the new specimen has rooted and grown, we can leave the new plant in its location or transplant it. |
Images of the plant Viola odorata or Common violet |
 Viola odorata |