Viola Northern Lights ('Smev4') (Celestial Series) (Va)
viola [Northern Lights]
A compact, rounded evergreen perennial with a mound of lush dark green leaves and masses of fragrant, purple flowers with a yellow-orange blush which appear from spring through to autumn, and sometimes beyond in milder climates
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Size
Ultimate height
0.1–0.5 metresTime to ultimate height
2–5 yearsUltimate spread
0.1–0.5 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Purple Yellow Orange | Green | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Purple Yellow Orange | Green | ||
| Autumn | Purple Yellow Orange | Green | ||
| Winter | Green |
Position
- Full sun
- Partial shade
Aspect
East–facing or South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered Hardiness
H5Botanical details
- Family
- Violaceae
- Native to the UK
- No
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Habit
- Bushy, Clump forming
- Genus
Viola can be annuals, biennials or deciduous or evergreen perennials, with simple or pinnately lobed leaves and 5-petalled flowers of characteristic shape
- Name status
Trade
- Horticultural Group
- Violas are compact reliably perennial, clump-forming plants with a complex root system and rounded, more or less fragrant flowers, often with darker rays, over a long period in late spring and summer
How to grow
Cultivation
Grow in fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade
Propagation
Propagate by seed sown in late winter or early spring or propagate by stem-tip cuttings in spring or late summer
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- City and courtyard gardens
- Coastal
- Cottage and informal garden
- Patio and container plants
- Rock garden
- Cut flowers
- Underplanting of roses and shrubs
- Garden edging
Pruning
Deadhead regularly to prolong flowering
Pests
May be susceptible to slugs, snails, aphids, glasshouse red spider mite and violet gall midge
Diseases
May be susceptible to powdery mildews, pansy leaf spot, a virus and a rust
Get involved
The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.