Viola odorata

sweet violet

Eventual height & spread

Viola odorata

sweet violet

  • 9cm pot
  • £8.99
  • available to order from summer
  • 3 × 9cm pots
  • £19.99 £6.66 each
  • available to order from summer
  • 6 × 9cm pots
  • £34.99 £5.83 each
  • available to order from summer
  • approx 50 seeds
  • £3.29
  • available to order from summer
Delivery options
  • Standard £5.99
  • Position: full sun or partial shade
  • Soil: moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil, or general-purpose potting compost for containers
  • Rate of growth: average to fast
  • Flowering period: February to March
  • Hardiness: fully hardy


Sweetly scented, violet-blue, edible flowers from February to March and heart-shaped, bright green leaves. Sweet violets are perfect for naturalising in a shady woodland garden or shrub border in moist, well-drained, humus-rich soil.

Much loved by Victorian dandies, the exquisitely scented blooms of Viola odorata make delightful cut-flower posies, are excellent when chrystallised, add an exotic-looking touch to the salad bowl and can be used to adorn cakes, desserts and iced drinks.


Garden care:
Pot-grown plants can be planted out or potted up into compost or well-drained, humus-rich soil that is neither frozen nor prone to waterlogging.

Keep well watered, and feed with a good, high potash fertiliser (such as Tomorite) on a regular basis. Pinching off the spent flowers will encourage more to form.

Protect young plants from slug damage using natural barriers such as coarse grit, copper bands, or other non-chemical solutions that are available in our slug and snail control selection.


  • Sowing instructions:
    Late winter, spring and autumn sowings can be done in a cold frame, into trays of good seed compost and gradually hardened off before planting out.

    Alternatively, sow directly into a well-prepared seed bed in late spring to early summer, or in autumn. Gently thin the seedlings out to 15cm (6in) apart when they are large enough to handle.


  • Sow: March to May or August to September
  • Goes well with