Viola x odorata Mrs Pinehurst

Viola x odorata 'Mrs Pinehurst' is a variety of sweet violet that has retained the charm of the wild species found in the woods. Its simple and violet flowers, carried on long peduncles, gracefully bend over its foliage, lasting for many weeks from the beginning of winter until May. This small creeping perennial, with its creeping rhizomes, will eventually form large mats of beautiful dark green, evergreen foliage. In the garden, it easily thrives in shaded areas, even occasionally dry ones, and forms carpets where many perennials struggle to grow.

'Mrs Pinehurst' is a horticultural hybrid resulting from the cross-breeding of Viola odorata and Viola sororia. Its first parent is the European violet, native to clearings, edges, hedges, lawns, meadows, and roadsides.  Its second parent is native to the northeastern United States and Canada. These plants belong to the Violaceae family.

'Mrs Pinehurst' is a small ground cover perennial that forms rounded clumps of cordate (heart-shaped) leaves, which spread through short stolons. The foliage, more or less evergreen, may disappear in summer during droughts. From February to May, its numerous small purple-violet flowers with five petals emit a subtle, not very pronounced fragrance. Each flower is carried on a long peduncle that can reach up to 25 cm (10in) in height.

The fragrant violet Mrs Pinehurst is used as border plants, at the base of trees and shrubs, or in rock gardens with primroses, pansies, horned violets, and small ferns. It can also be grown in pots or containers placed on the windowsill (for the light fragrance) or on the patio, without forgetting to water it regularly.

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