Description

Enhance your garden with the striking Viola “Back to Black,” a compact beauty with 3/4″ flowers in a stunning deep purple shade that appears almost black. This frost-tolerant perennial thrives in cool spring and fall weather, making it an ideal choice for adding vibrant color to gardens and containers. Resilient and deer-resistant, this viola variety reseeds readily, ensuring a continuous display of blooms. In mild climates, it blooms through winter, adding charm and contrast to your garden even when other plants have finished their display.

Family: Violaceae
Native: Southwestern Europe
Hardiness: Frost-tolerant perennial in USDA zones 6-9; often grown as an annual. Reseeds readily.
Exposure: Full sun to part shade. Too much shade causes plants to stretch. Afternoon shade is beneficial in hot climates.
Plant Dimensions: 8″ tall; 5″ wide
Variety Info: 3/4″ blooms in the deepest shade of purple that appears black.

When to Sow Outside: RECOMMENDED. Cold Climates: 4 to 6 weeks before your average last frost date, or midsummer for fall and the following spring bloom. Mild Climates: Late summer for cool-season blooms.
When to Start Inside: 8 to 10 weeks before your average last frost date for early spring planting, and midsummer for fall planting in both mild and cold climates.
Days to Emerge: 7-20 days
Seed Depth: 1/8″
Seed Spacing: A group of 3 seeds every 4″-6″
Thinning: When 1/2″-1″ tall, thin to 1 every 4″-6″

Harvesting: For longest vase life, harvest flowers in the morning, choosing stems where flower buds have just begun to open. Change vase water frequently.

Special Care: If grown under optimum conditions, and regular attention given to proper deadheading and pruning, violas will last year after year. Pinch off faded flowers to the bottom of their stems to encourage more blooms and prevent reseeding. In all climates, when the weather warms up in summer, plants tend to get ragged, stretched out, and slow to bloom. Trim back the flower stalks to promote new foliage and encourage fall bloom.