Overview

Viola sororia 'Freckles' is a clump forming herbaceous perennial in the genus Viola, part of the Violaceae family, with evergreen foliage. It typically grows around 0.1 m tall and 0.15–0.25 metres wide. Viola sororia 'Freckles' grows best in full sun and partial shade, and tolerates loam and sand soils and alkaline and neutral pH. Its UK hardiness is rated H4. Suggested uses include city and courtyard gardens, cottage and informal garden, gravel garden, patio and container plants, rock garden, banks and slopes and conservatory and greenhouse. It is native to Manitoba, Ontario and Saskatchewan.

About

Viola sororia 'Freckles' is a cultivar of Viola (family Violaceae) that produces purple flowers with white throats. It is a short-stemmed herbaceous perennial with glossy, heart-shaped leaves and a compact spread of 15–25 cm. In the UK it flowers in April, May, June, September and October. The plant readily self-seeds and may set cleistogamous seed heads in late summer and early autumn.

About the genus

Viola, commonly known as the violets, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Violaceae. It is the largest genus in the family, containing over 680 species. Most species are found in the temperate Northern Hemisphere; however, some are also found in widely divergent areas such as Hawaii, Australasia, and the Andes.

Wikipedia contributors, "Viola (plant)", CC BY-SA 4.0 — Viola (plant)

In the garden

Viola sororia 'Freckles' belongs to the genus Viola in the Violaceae and is derived from the common blue violet found across eastern North America. The plants are short-stemmed herbaceous perennials with glossy, heart-shaped leaves and purple flowers that show a white throat; flower stems often droop slightly. In its native range it occurs in woods, thickets and beside stream beds, and the same site preferences are useful when establishing it in the UK. Choose a shady or semi-shaded spot with humus-rich soil that retains moisture; the species is regularly recorded in moist woodland and can also be found in well-shaded, well-drained sites. It will naturalise where conditions suit it and often appears in lawns and borders because it self-seeds freely. Be aware that cleistogamous (self-fertile) seed heads can form on short stems late in the season, producing seed even without open flowers. Use Viola sororia 'Freckles' for naturalistic plantings beneath trees and shrubs, along stream or pond margins, and in informal ground cover drifts where self-seeding is acceptable. Where seeding is unwanted, remove spent flowers before seed heads develop to limit spread. Cleistogamous seed heads may appear on short stems in late summer and early autumn.

Growing conditions

Best soil and position for Viola

Sunlight

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil type

Loam, Sand

Soil pH

Alkaline, Neutral

Soil moisture

Well-drained

Aspect

South-facing, West-facing

Exposure

Exposed, Sheltered

UK hardiness

H4

Plant details

Viola sororia 'Freckles' size, habit and characteristics

Plant type

Herbaceous perennial

Habit

Clump forming

Foliage

Evergreen

Height

0.1 m

Spread

0.15–0.25 metres

Suggested uses

City and courtyard gardens, Cottage and informal garden, Gravel garden, Patio and container plants, Rock garden, Banks and slopes, Conservatory and greenhouse

Native to

Manitoba, Ontario, Saskatchewan

Care notes

Pruning and caring for Viola sororia 'Freckles'

Cultivation

Prefers moist, well-drained soil; tolerates a range of soil types; can naturalize readily; self-seeds

Pruning

Remove spent flowers to encourage tidiness; cut back after flowering to control spread

Propagation

Seed, Division in spring or autumn

Pest resistance

Slugs, Snails, Aphids, Glasshouse red spider mite, Violet gall midge

Disease resistance

Powdery mildews, Pansy leaf spot, A virus, A rust

Frequently asked questions

More in the Viola genus

• 
  Viola 'Panola Rose Picotee' (Panola Series)
• 
  Viola 'Pearl Rose'
• 
  Viola eizorensis
• 
  Viola hastatahalberd-leaved violet
• 
  Viola hispidaRouen pansy
• 
  Viola rugulosaViolet
• 
  Viola verecunda var. yakusimana
• 
  Viola x wittrockiana 'Patiola Bronze Red'