‘King Henry’ Viola Is a Perfect Companion for Spring-Blooming Bulbs
Grow ‘King Henry’ viola for its fragrant, dark purple flowers, which complement spring flowers like crocus, iris, daffodils and tulips.
'King Henry' viola (Viola cornuta 'King Henry') is a petite perennial violet with fragrant dark purple flowers that appear in great numbers during cool weather. It is a perfect companion for spring-blooming bulbs in the North, or it can supply winter flowers in the mild South. Hot weather will set it back, but plants may recover and bloom again in fall. This violet also reseeds when happy.
Related: Violas are a very good match for miniature daffodils.
Common name: 'King Henry' viola
Botanical name: Viola cornuta 'King Henry' (syn. 'Prince Henry')
Origin: The species Viola cornuta is native to southern and western Europe, particularly the Pyrenees mountains. The heirloom cultivar 'King Henry' is of unknown origins. For a time it was known as 'Prince Henry'.
Flowers: Five dark purple petals surround a white and gold center. This viola offers a sweet fragrance from its outward-facing flowers, which appear in profusion over many weeks in spring and fall.
Foliage: Small, deep green leaves with rounded lobes.
Size and habit: To eight inches tall and wide, with a mounding habit.
Growing 'King Henry' viola
Exposure: Full sun to part shade
How to grow it: 'King Henry' viola grows and blooms best in the cool temperatures of spring and fall in the the North, and in the warm winters of the South. It prefers full sun to part shade and free-draining, rich soil with even moisture. This viola is easy to grow from seed, which can be sown outdoors in late fall or earliest spring, or indoors 8 to 10 weeks before the last expected frost. Seed can also be started in midsummer for fall bloom, or simply let the spring plants reseed on their own. USDA Zones 6–9, but often treated as an annual since it does not cope well with hot summer weather.
