Viola x wittrockiana
Pansies and Violas
Top left to bottom right: Viola Penny Series ‘Denim Jump-Up’; Sorbet Series ‘Black Delight’, ‘Babyface Ruby-Gold’; Endurio Series ‘Blue-Yellow with Purple Wing’; Sorbet Series ‘Coconut Swirl’; Pansy Panola Series ‘XP Fire’
POTS OF PANSIES AND VIOLAS brighten up our nursery and gardens in early April with their happy faces. They offer a quick, easy color fix after our long winter, providing lots of bang for the buck.
How do pansies and violas differ? Botanically, they are both known as Viola, but there are subtle differences in flower shape and growth habit. Pansies sport larger rounded flowers, 2 to 4 inches in diameter, with five equally sized petals.
Violas, in contrast, have smaller 1-inch flowers, but each plant generates more blooms with five lopsided petals; three small petals on the bottom and two larger petals are at the top. Violas often have better fragrance and heat tolerance than pansies to keep them fresh-looking during warm springs.
Loomis Creek is a big fan of the Sorbet Series of violas with its broad color palette and outstanding vigor. We always try new some new hybrid violas and pansies each season. This year we offer Panola pansies (combining the best characteristics of pansies and viola, hence Panola). Panola’s are early to bloom on compact, uniform plants with little stretching as they grow. Another new entry, Endurio violas offer wonderful branching habit and more body to fill in pots more quickly.
Here’s the complete Loomis Creek lineup for 2009:
PANSIES: Delta Series (Pure Deep Orange & Tapestry Mix); Matrix Series (Red Blotch); Fizzy Lemonberry; Panola Series (XP Fire).
VIOLAS: Sorbet Series (Antique Shades, Babyface Primrose, Babyface Ruby Gold, Black Delight, Coconut Swirl); Penny Series (Denim Jump-Up, Mickey, Yellow Jump-Up); Endurio Series (Blue Yellow with Purple Wing).
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