Viola cornuta 'Back to Black'

Viola cornuta ‘Back to Black’ is a striking cultivar, admired for its exceptionally dark, velvety flowers. A relatively recent introduction to the horticultural market, officially introduced in 2018, the blooms are an intense black-purple. At around 2cm (1in) in diameter, each is subtly accented by a small, vivid golden-yellow eye.
The flowers are produced in great abundance on compact, bushy plants with semi-evergreen foliage. Notably fragrant, which contributes both visual and olfactory appeal to the garden.

Botanically, ‘Back to Black’ is a perennial but is often grown as an annual or biennial. Hardy it can withstand winter temperatures as low as -20°C. Flowering begins early in the season, around March and can continue through October. In regions with mild winters and with regular deadheading, blooms may persist even longer.
It typically grows to a height and spread of 15 to 20cm (6 to 8in) and is well-suited for containers, window boxes, borders, and edging, its dramatic coloration make it an excellent choice for contrast planting, especially when combined with lighter-toned flowers. 'Back to Black' is also suitable for mass plantings, where its rich, dark hues can make a bold statement. Additionally, the edible flowers can be used to decorate salads, desserts, and beverages, adding an element of elegance to culinary presentations.

The prolific blooms of violas and pansies offer a welcome splash of colour, but many gardeners don’t think of using them as cut flowers. If you want to achieve long stems so that they are suitable for bouquet work, plant them no more than 5 to 10cm (2 to 4in) apart. These delicate flowers work best in small bottles and vases. And when you bring them into the warmth of your house you’ll notice, perhaps for the first time, their sweet fragrance.

Sowing:
Violas are perennial plants but are often treated as annuals or biennials. 60 days from seed. They can be sown practically all year if at temperatures of around 15 to 20°C (60 to 68°F) can be provided.
They can be sown in December to February for May blooms. Sow before July for flowering in autumn, or sow September to December for larger spring blooms.

Use a good quality seed starting mix (John Innes or similar) or make a mixture of compost, a little vermiculite and a little sand to give drainage. Sieve the compost into pots or cell packs and press it down lightly. Add a little more compost if necessary. Make a small indentation with your finger and pop one seed into each indentation.
Light is not required for germination. A medium covering of coarse grade vermiculite is recommended to help maintain high humidity around the germinating seed, if you do not have vermiculite, cover lightly with sieved soil.
Place the containers in a cold greenhouse or outside in a cold frame, ideally at temperatures of around 15 to 20°C (60 to 68°F) Seeds germinate in 7 to 14 days at temperatures around 15°C when kept in darkness.
Avoid temperatures above 21°C (70°F) to prevent seedling stretch. Maintain the soil at fairly wet moisture levels, i.e., the media is glistening, but water will not ooze out from the bottom of the tray and will penetrate only slightly from the top around the fingertip.

Transplanting:
Optimal outside growing temperatures are 60 to 70°F (15 to 21°C) days, and nights in the low 50s°F (11 to 15°C) for the first few weeks. Violas can also tolerate lower night temperatures – in the 40s°F (5 to 9°C). Fertilise with a balanced fertiliser in the growing media mix to encourage good foliar growth before flowering.
Violas will thrive in any good soil and, although they will do well in part shade, they appreciate plenty of sunshine. Viola flowers follow the sun, or, on dull days, they follow the best light. Plant them where you look at them with the sun or light behind you - then their flowers will face you.
If you want to achieve long stems so that they are suitable for bouquet work, plant them no more than 5 to 10cm (2 to 4in) apart.

Cultivation:
The plant is relatively low-maintenance. One thing that helps violas give their very best is regular dead-heading. So as soon as the flowers fade, nip them off. Use kitchen scissors or thumb and forefinger. During the growing season, fertilise the plants monthly with a balanced fertiliser. Water the plants well and allow to dry slightly before watering again. Be cautious of fungal diseases, particularly in humid environments. Good air circulation and watering at the base of the plant rather than overhead will help prevent issues.
Viola cornuta is hardy down to around minus 15°C, sometimes even minus 20°C if the soil is well-drained and it’s not sitting in wet soil all winter.

Plant Uses:
Violas combine well with spring bulbs and foliage plants in containers. They make excellent ground cover planted under shrubs and trees and the edible varieties can also be grown with mixed salad leaves. A few of the longer stemmed varieties in a small vase will last over a week and look magical.

Cut Flowers:
The prolific blooms of violas and pansies offer a welcome splash of colour, but many gardeners don’t think of using them as cut flowers. These delicate flowers work best in small bottles and vases. And when you bring them into the warmth of your house you’ll notice, perhaps for the first time, their sweet fragrance.
In the new book 'Pansies' by the florist and pansy queen, Brenna Estrada, describes in detail the numerous black varieties of violas and pansies. She writes - There are no flowers I find more soothingly elegant than long stemmed black pansies. They are the little black dress of flowers.
Her new book, 'Pansies' is an indispensable guide for growers, florists, artists, and collectors - and without wanting to sound like an advert - it's inspirational. Make room for it in your life, you won't regret it.

Edible Flowers:
The entire blossom of violas can be eaten, including the petiole. (The leaves and roots aren’t considered fit for human consumption.). This is a huge advantage as you can use whole blooms in salads or as lavish garnishes on cupcakes or cream-based spring pies, without resorting to painstakingly plucking petals.
The blossoms frozen in ice cubes are always beautiful. The flowers make a beautiful addition to any spring meal, even if only as a decoration. If you are planning to use your pansies in the kitchen, be sure not to use pesticides or other chemicals.

Origin:
Viola is the largest genus in the family Violaceae, containing between 525 and 600 species. Violets are native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere and are also distributed in Hawaii, Australasia, and the Andes in South America. Violets are found in moist and slightly shaded conditions such as hedgerows.
The charming horned violas, Viola cornuta have been part of the English cottage gardens for generations. In the late 1900s, breeders in both Britain and Europe were churning out these charmers with an eye for compact growth, cool-season bloom, and a painter’s palette of colours.

Nomenclature:
The genus name Violet is the diminutive form of the Latin Viola, the Latin form of the Greek name Ione. There is a legend that when Jupiter changed his beloved Io into a white heifer for fear of Juno's jealousy, he caused these modest flowers to spring forth from the earth to be fitting food for her, and he gave them her name.
The species name cornuta derives from cornu, meaning 'horn', for the little spur or horn on the back of the flower.
It is also commonly called the Horned Violet due to the plant's distinctive spurred flowers.

Viola cornuta 'Back to Black' is a relatively recent introduction to the horticultural market, officially introduced in 2018, it was named for the second and final studio album by English singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse,
Released on 27 October 2006 by Island Records. Winehouse predominantly based the album on her tumultuous relationship with Blake Fielder-Civil. Their brief separation spurred Winehouse to create an album that explores themes of guilt, grief, infidelity, heartbreak and trauma in a relationship.
The album spawned five singles: 'Rehab', 'You Know I'm No Good', 'Back to Black', 'Tears Dry on Their Own' and 'Love Is a Losing Game'. It has also been cited as being a key influence to the widespread popularity of British soul throughout the late 2000s, paving the musical landscape for artists such as Adele, Duffy, and Estelle.