Sweet Violet 'Queen Charlotte' Seeds

'Queen Charlotte' is an heirloom sweet violet from 1900, prized for flowers that are both strongly scented and held up on longer stems than most. Rich blue-violet blooms open in late winter and early spring above heart-shaped leaves, often with a second flush in late summer. Viola odorata spreads slowly into a low carpet under shrubs, along a shady path or in a pot by the door. The flowers are edible: crystallise them for cakes, steep them for violet syrup or scatter them over salads.

Sowing and growing

• Best sown in autumn in pots left outdoors or in a cold frame; they germinate the following spring
• Or sow in spring after chilling: two weeks warm, then four to six weeks in the fridge, then move to a cool spot
• Barely cover the seed with a sprinkle of compost or grit
• Germination is slow and uneven, from three weeks to several months
• Partial shade, in moist, humus-rich soil
• Grows to around 15 cm tall and 15 to 30 cm wide
• Flowers February to April, often again in late summer
• A hardy perennial

What you receive: a packet of about 25 seeds from Piccolo Seeds, with growing instructions on the back.

Browse our full range of flower and herb seeds, or find pots and covers in our propagation range.