Viola x koreana Heartthrob

Viola 'Heartthrob' is a hybrid perennial violet that will charm with its magnificent variegated foliage of dark purple and green. This variety, related to the Mars violet, surpasses it in vigour. The plant quickly forms delightful colourful carpets in partially shaded and cool places that it loves. In spring, before the appearance of the foliage, mauve-violet flowers appear, lightly scented, and of good size for a violet. Combine this violet with pretty pots and lovely borders with purple or orange heucheras and silver Brunnera!

Viola Heartthrob belongs to the Violaceae family, it is a hybrid horticultural creation resulting from, among others, Viola koreana. It is a perennial plant that spreads on the ground thanks to rhizomes and quickly forms, dense carpets, 15-20 cm (6-8in) high and 40 cm (16in) wide. The leaves and flowers emerge directly from the rhizomes and form a basal rosette. Its heart-shaped leaves, with toothed edges, show a wide centre of purple to deep red surrounded by a margin of beautiful acidic green to bright green. The flowering period extends from March to May. The flowers form before the leaves, which will eventually cover and hide them. The foliage, deciduous, disappears in winter.

This Viola Heartthrob prefers shade or partial shade, in humus-rich soils that remain moist, even under large trees or at the base of hedges where it withstands root competition. It is a plant that resists harsh winters. It naturally finds its place on the edge of woodlands or groves, as well as in partially shaded borders. Pair it with white Cyclamen coum, heucheras, Anemone hepatica, or Brunnera macrophylla 'Looking Glass', for example.

Violets and pansies are part of the Viola genus. How to differentiate a violet from a pansy? By the arrangement of their petals: the former has two upright petals and three petals facing downwards, while the latter has four upright petals, with the fifth, larger than the others, bending its head. Violets are almost all native to temperate regions of the globe. The vast majority of them are perennials, but hybrids with large flowers are sold and used as annual plants.