Viola 'Little David'
Viola 'Little David'• Click here to visit our Main Plant List page for current availability of this plant
• perennial viola
• flowering season: spring and again in fall; where summers are not too hot it will flower all summer
• height: 4 to 6 inches
• Light requirements: strong light but partial shade during the hottest part of the afternoon
• Soil requirements: average to rich
• Water requirments: average
• Growth habit: grows as a clump
• How to propagate: divide in early to mid-spring; rarely sets seeds
• Leaf type: small, round light green leaves
• Ways to use it: it is happy near the front edge of a flower garden, or to edge a path; also grows well in a container to be placed where you can enjoy it up close
• Special characteristics: by mid-summer a plant may grow tall and flop open; if this happens, cutting it back by half to two-thirds is a good idea
• Other points of interests: this is a hybrid of several species that were chosen for their long flowering season and for their long life
These Violas are charming, old fashioned perennials, suitable for the front of the border, rock garden or for naturalizing in a woodland garden. With showy flowers resembling pansies, they come in a wide range of colors. Heaviest flowering occurs in spring, diminishes during the hot summer months, and often resumes again in fall when temperatures cool. Along the coast from Northern California into Canada they will flower continuously through summer. Cut plants back by half after first flowering to encourage new growth and a second flush of bloom. These fragile looking plants are in fact, quite sturdy. They like afternoon shade and moist, well drained soil that is rich in organic matter. Plants benefit from a summer mulch to conserve soil moisture.
'Little David' has small flowers of pale, creamy yellow that are lightly scented. Cold hardy to USDA Zone 4.