Viola is an annual grown for its blooms, which open from spring through fall. Notably, it shrugs off deer and grows just as well in a container as in the ground. Its flowers are a moderate draw for honeybees and native bees.
Viola — the short answer
Viola: part sun, pH 5.4–6.5, about 70 days to maturity.
- Soil pH
- 5.4–6.5
- Growable Ground Plant Database
- Sun
- Part Sun
- Growable Ground Plant Database
- Days to Maturity
- 70 days
- Growable Ground Plant Database
- Frost-kill temperature
- 15°F
- Growable Ground Plant Database
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
Score Viola on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether viola actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score viola against your land's real conditions.
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What Viola is
Viola grows as an annual and reaches around 9 inches at maturity. It blooms from spring through fall. It's also deer-resistant and well suited to containers.
How to grow Viola
Viola does best in part sun — at least 4 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 5.4 to 6.5, on well-drained ground. It needs around 600 growing degree days to mature, which is why climate matters as much as soil.
USDA Zones
Data pending
Soil pH
5.4 - 6.5
Growable Ground Plant Database
Sun
Part Sun
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
well (dry spells)
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost Kill Temperature
15°F
Where cold starts killing growing tissue. Not a winter-survival floor — a dormant perennial takes far colder, which its hardiness zone answers.
Growable Ground Plant Database
Days to Maturity
70 days
Growable Ground plant catalog
GDD Required
600+
Growing degree-days of accumulated warmth it needs to mature — humid summers reach this faster than cool coastal ones.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Mature Height
0.75 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost-Free Days
0+
The frost-free stretch it needs start to finish — short-season areas may need an indoor head start.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Start the season right
Plant viola in part sun with at least 4 hours of direct sun. It grows in the cool halves of the year, so sow it in spring or late summer rather than waiting for midsummer heat.
Match the soil
Viola prefers pH 5.4 to 6.5 (Growable Ground Plant Database). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Harvest at its peak
Cut viola blooms in the cool of the morning, just as they open, for the longest display.
Where Viola thrives
Whether viola thrives on a given site comes down to its soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates — the conditions that vary parcel to parcel.
What grows around Viola
Growing guides for viola
In rotation planning, viola counts as a Other — beds recover best when other crops don’t follow each other in the same spot year over year. (Growable Ground derivation — crop-rotation group from botanical family)
Related plants in annual flower
Good to know
Good news for pet owners — viola isn't known to be toxic to dogs or cats. (Source: ASPCA.)
Viola offers moderate value to bees and other pollinators. (Source: Pollinator Partnership.)
Your land is one point inside Viola's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if Viola will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether viola actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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How we know this about Viola
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database•USDA PHZM•ASPCA
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Viola in my zone?
Zone data for viola is being finalized. A Growable Ground report checks your parcel's full suitability against federal soil, climate, and zone data.
When should you plant Viola?
Viola is a cool-season crop, so it goes in during the cool halves of the year — early spring, and again in late summer for a fall planting — rather than at the height of summer heat. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Viola need?
Viola does well in partial sun — around 4 hours of direct sun, and it takes some afternoon shade in stride. That flexibility makes it a good match for a bed the house or a nearby tree shades for part of the day. A Growable Ground report maps how the sun actually falls on your land, hour by hour, so you can set it where the light lines up.
What soil does Viola need?
Viola prefers soil pH 5.4 to 6.5, on well-drained ground (Growable Ground Plant Database). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Viola attract pollinators?
Yes — viola's flowers are a solid nectar source for honeybees and native bees. (Source: Pollinator Partnership.)
Is Viola safe for pets?
Viola is not known to be toxic to dogs or cats based on available data. Always supervise pets around new plantings. (Source: ASPCA.)