Violets are among the most touching flowers: small, delicate, in deep purple, blue and white. But the word "violet" is often used for different plants, and that decides what kind of gift you end up with. Here is which violets work in bouquets, what to pair them with, how to make them last and what they symbolise. More flowers with photos, names and meanings are in our types of flowers guide. This is a birth month flower; see February flowers.
Sweet violet and other species of the genus Viola are the "true" violets. In spring they are made into tiny posies, buttonholes and details for wedding arrangements. In 19th-century Europe, Parma violets with double, fragrant flowers were especially prized.
Pansies (Viola × wittrockiana) are garden relatives of the violet with large "faces" on their petals. They are usually given in planters and baskets, and the flowers are used to decorate cakes and desserts.
African violet, or saintpaulia, is a houseplant from East Africa. It is not suitable for cutting, but in a pot it blooms for months and stays with the recipient for a long time.
All of these belong to one genus, Viola. The sweet violet is a small, strongly scented woodland flower that blooms in early spring. The horned violet is a compact perennial viola with small flowers from spring to autumn. Pansies (Viola × wittrockiana) are garden hybrids with large velvety “faces”, grown as biennials or annuals.
Bouquets mostly use sweet violets and small-flowered violas, which have longer stems and light blooms; pansies are better given in a pot or planter.
Violets can be the star of a small arrangement or a detail in a bouquet of larger flowers. A bouquet of violets alone works best in miniature: a tight round posy, a small basket or a little vase on moss. That way the flowers last longer and look more striking. Any companion plants should be small too.
In mixed bouquets, violets go with flowers of the same palette or soft contrasts: lilac, grape hyacinths, crocuses, lavender, forget-me-nots, gypsophila, small roses and orchids. The key is not to let large blooms overpower the delicate violets.
The houseplant “violet” is the African violet (Saintpaulia), which isn’t botanically a Viola but flowers almost all year. It makes a great alternative to a bouquet for colleagues, grandmothers or teachers: compact, affordable and long-lived. It needs bright indirect light, bottom watering with lukewarm water (keep the leaves dry) and +18…+24 °C. Flowers can be single or double, white, pink or purple, or edged in another colour.
In the language of flowers, the violet stands for modesty, faithfulness and tender affection. A small posy suits a mother, a friend, a teacher or a first date — the recipient's age does not matter. Folk beliefs call the African violet a "money" and "feminine" flower, but this is a charming tradition rather than a rule for choosing gifts.
Violets also look lovely in wedding floristry: they are added to buttonholes, bridesmaids' posies and purple-toned bridal bouquets.
In Greek myths, violets are often linked with Persephone: in one version, Hades carried her off while she was picking flowers in a meadow. A Christian legend says the violet grew from Adam's tears when God forgave him for the Fall. And in France the violet became the emblem of Napoleon: his supporters called him "Corporal Violet" and wore the flowers while awaiting his return from Elba in the spring of 1815.
Cut violets are seasonal: they’re easiest to find in spring, from March to May, when garden and woodland species bloom. Such posies are tiny and last only a few days in a vase, so they’re given as a tender gesture rather than a main gift. Out of season, a violet palette can be created with purple lisianthus, iris, grape hyacinth or lilac spray roses — or give an African violet in a pot, which blooms almost all year.
No, African violets are given in pots — cut flowers wilt quickly.
Usually 2–4 days if kept cool and refreshed by submerging in water.
They belong to the same genus, Viola. “Violet” usually means the scented woodland sweet violet, while “viola” covers garden species and hybrids such as pansies.
3–5 days. Keep the posy cool and mist the flowers lightly — violets absorb water through their petals too.
Modesty, loyalty and tender hidden feelings: purple for devotion, white for purity and blue for sincerity.
A delicate spring bouquet with delivery in Kyiv can always be ordered from UFL.
Author: Maria Svitlovir
Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.
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