Annual
Viola (Johnny-jump-up)
Viola cornuta · Violaceae
Also called: Johnny-jump-up, Horned violet, Tufted pansy, Viola
Viola (Johnny-jump-up) (Viola cornuta) is a moderate-water annual well suited to Tucson and the low desert. It's a moderate-growing annual.
Viola (Johnny-jump-up) at a glance
- Water use
- Moderate (established)
- Sun
- Full sun in the cool season; tolerates and benefits from light afternoon shade as spring warms.
- Mature size
- 4–8 in tall, 6–12 in spread.
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Bloom
- Purple, blue, yellow, white, apricot, and bicolor 'faces'; smaller and more profuse than pansies., Late fall through spring (Nov–Apr/May) in Tucson.
- Cold hardiness
- More cold- and heat-tolerant than pansies; handles frost into the low 20s°F and lingers slightly later into spring, but still a cool-season plant that fails in summer heat.
- Soil
- Well-drained, organically enriched soil; tolerates alkaline desert soils with compost and good drainage.
- Native range
- Pyrenees and mountains of Spain/southern Europe (note: the common 'Johnny-jump-up' name is also applied to Viola tricolor; bedding violas are largely V. cornuta types).
- Best used as
- Winter color beds and edging, Containers and baskets, Mass groundcover-style bedding, Edible flowers for garnish, Cool-season bee nectar
- Wildlife
- Provides nectar for early-season bees; flowers self-sow readily.
- Toxicity
- Non-toxic to people and pets; flowers are edible.
How to grow Viola (Johnny-jump-up) in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
Cool-season annual: set out Oct–Nov for winter-spring bloom. Keep soil evenly moist — water 2–3x/week, never letting the root zone dry hard; mulch lightly. Remove at onset of heat (May).
Fertilizer & nutrients
Compost-amended beds plus a balanced or bloom liquid fertilizer every 2–3 weeks keeps the heavy flowering going; moderate feeder.
Pruning & care
Self-cleaning to a degree, but shearing lightly mid-season and removing spent blooms keeps plants tidy and floriferous.
Notes
Violas are tougher and more weather-resilient than pansies, with many more (smaller) flowers — excellent for mass plantings and containers in Tucson winters. Often self-seeds. Like pansies, plant after early-fall heat breaks.
Sources: University of Arizona Cooperative Extension – Pima County Monthly Gardening Guides; Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder; AMWUA / Tucson cool-season annual references