Viola cornuta Butterfly Tiger Eyes - Horned pansy

Viola cornuta 'Tiger Eyes' is a beautiful new variety. The surprisingly tiger-striped flowers are bright yellow or caramel with black veins, depending on the plants. They appear from spring to autumn, and last for weeks. The vigorous and ramified plants remain compact over the season. These easy-to-grow biennials are perfect for creating colourful borders and opulent pots. Horned pansies thrive in humus-rich soil. They prefer partial shade or dappled sunlight.

Horned pansies belong to the Violaceae family. They grow wild in the Pyrenees. They are low-growing perennial plants that have given rise to numerous hybrids. Often crossed with Viola tricolor (wild pansy), their most famous descendants are garden pansies. 'Tiger Eyes', from which it originates, is a bushy herbaceous plant that forms a spreading cushion-like clump, reaching a height of 10 to 15cm (4 to 6in) when in flower. It has dark green, evergreen, ovate and serrated leaves. It is covered in flowers from spring to autumn. Its fascinating flowers are adorned with black veins that somewhat resemble stained glass patterns. They resemble those of small pansies but their petals are arranged differently. The two upper petals are upright, while the other three are inclined downwards. The plant spreads quite rapidly with its rhizomes, and readily self-seeds in the garden (although not always faithfully).

Horned pansies are suitable for low borders, pots, and balconies, where they can be combined with other plants that flower in spring and summer (forget-me-nots, dwarf daffodils, daisies, primroses, botanical tulips, and summer and autumn asters, etc.). The flowers are edible, so use them to decorate your plates, or even add some to salads to give them a touch of colour.

Our young plug plants are professional products reserved for experienced gardeners. Upon receipt, transplant and store them in shelters (veranda, greenhouse, cold frame) at a temperature above 14°C (57.2°F) for a few weeks before being planted outdoors once the risk of frost has passed.