Bowles Black Viola is a storied heirloom flower that brings deep drama to spring and fall gardens. Named after E.A. Bowles, the renowned late 19th and early 20th-century horticulturist who championed it, this Viola cornuta cultivar produces flowers so deeply pigmented they appear almost inky black, punctuated by a striking golden eye at the center. Growing 6 to 8 inches tall with a 6-inch spread, it thrives in zones 5 through 9 and blooms reliably from seed in 98 to 112 days, flowering heavily during spring and fall when many other flowers fade. Bowles himself described it as having "a wonderfully friendly and cheerful look," and it self-seeds readily, rewarding gardeners with unexpected blooms year after year.
6
Full Sun
Moderate
5-9
8in H x 6in W
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Moderate
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This nearly black viola carries genuine horticultural provenance, celebrated by one of gardening's most influential voices. The flowers' inky depth contrasted by that golden central eye creates an almost jewel-like quality that stops you mid-garden walk. It's a prolific self-seeder that Bowles himself noted acts like "a very charming little weed," spreading generously without becoming invasive. Spring and fall bloom cycles mean you get color when the garden needs it most, and it attracts pollinators throughout both seasons.
Bowles Black Viola is grown as an ornamental flower for borders, containers, and cottage gardens. Its dramatic dark coloring and prolific blooming make it valuable for adding depth and contrast to spring and fall planting schemes. The flowers attract pollinators, making it useful in gardens designed to support bees and other beneficial insects.
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Sow indoors in late winter, covering seeds lightly with vermiculite. Keep the seed tray at 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit until germination, which typically occurs within 7 to 14 days. After complete germination, move seedlings to a cooler location of 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit to encourage stocky growth before transplanting.
Transplant hardened-off seedlings outdoors after the last frost date for your zone. Space plants 6 inches apart in full sun with moderate watering established before the heat of summer.
Direct sow in late summer to early fall only in zones 8 and warmer. In cooler zones, rely on indoor seed starting for the most reliable results.
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“Bowles Black Viola carries the fingerprints of E.A. Bowles, the legendary English horticulturist whose keen eye and generous spirit shaped early 20th-century gardening. Bowles documented this variety in his beloved book My Garden in Spring, where he offered an intimate portrait: a deep purple to inky black viola that captured his heart with its cheerful golden eye and its spontaneous, generous self-seeding habit. The variety became synonymous with Bowles's name and philosophy, embodying his belief that the best gardens blend horticultural intention with the organized chaos of plants sowing themselves. Through catalogs like Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, this Victorian-era favorite has been preserved and passed forward to contemporary gardeners seeking authentic, historically rooted plants.”