The Viola cornuta, an eye-catching and hardy cool-season plant that can brighten fall and winter landscapes, has received Texas Superstar recognition.

Viola plants in a container along with pansies and narcissus.
Violas in containers or baskets brighten a garden with a pop of color such as this mix of white and light purple viola, dark blue pansy and white narcissus. (Greg Grant/Texas A&M AgriLife)

Available in an extensive array of colors, the pansy look-alike is also known as the horned pansy or Johnny Jump-Up, said Andrew King, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Research ornamental specialist and assistant professor in the Texas A&M Department of Horticultural Sciences.

The viola is closely related to pansies but has higher numbers of smaller flowers, King said. While viola is an annual plant, it can reseed, hence the name Johnny Jump-Up, because it sometimes comes back the following year.

They are available in an incredible range of colors, from white to black-purple, and almost every color in between, King said. They come in pink, mauve, brown, orange, purple and blue as well as multiple colors in a single flower.

Hardy, low-maintenance plants

Violas meet the requirements of Texas Superstar plants because they perform well throughout the state, are easy to propagate, widely available and reasonably priced.

Although violas can be planted from seed, buying transplants is a good way to ensure plant quality, King said.

Plant them from October through February. Violas are not totally immune to extreme cold but handle Texas winters well.

They are usually available throughout the cool season, but if you are in search of specific varieties or popular colors, King recommends shopping in October to November to get exactly what you want.

These plants are adaptable to most soils and easy to care for.

“Don’t let them dry out, but you don’t want them standing in water either,” King said. “A slightly raised bed or area in your yard is a good place to put them and just keep them moist.”

If needed, amend clay soil with commercial potting mix, sand or bark mix or add organic matter to sandy soil to improve conditions for violas.

“If you’ve got good garden soil, you’re golden — violas are not persnickety,” King said.

Close-up of light purple viola.
Close up of multicolored violas with dark purple, yellow and orange blooms.
Close-up of yellow viola with maroon stripes on the petals.
Close-up of yellow and light purple multicolor viola.
Close-up of blue viola.
The versatile viola is available in a wide palette of solid and multicolor combinations. (Paul Winski, Greg Grant/Texas A&M AgriLife)

A showy addition to the landscape

King said proper spacing is essential when planting violas for the best effect.

“They grow in mounds – 6 to 8 inches tall and 4 to 6 inches wide,” King said. “I prefer dense plantings, 4 inches or so apart, to create a mat of color in the landscape.”

Other effective uses include edging a garden bed or using them in containers or hanging baskets for a smaller punch of color, King said.

Texas Superstar is a registered trademark owned by AgriLife Research. Plants are designated by the Texas Superstar executive board, which comprises nine horticulturists from AgriLife Research, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Texas Tech University in Lubbock.

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