(Viola tricolor ‘Johnny Jump Up’)
Johnny Jump Up Pansy is a cool-weather, short-lived perennial flower native to Europe. At maturity, this plant can reach a height of 12” and features light green/purplish stems, lance-shaped leaves, and tricolor blooms in purple, yellow, and white with deep purple veins. This plant can be grown in containers, attracts bees and butterflies, is edible and medicinal, tolerates drought and frost, and self-sows!
Genus: Viola
Species: tricolor
Variety: Johnny Jump Up Pansy
Native to: Europe
Also Known As: Field Pansy, HeartsEase, Horned Pansy, Horned Violet, Tufted Violet.
Native to: Albania, Altay, Austria, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Central European Rus, Corse, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, East European Russia, Finland, France, Føroyar, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Iceland, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Krym, Netherlands, North Caucasus, North European Russi, Northwest European R, Norway, Poland, Romania, South European Russi, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Transcaucasus, Turkey, Turkey-in-Europe, Ukraine, West Siberia, Yugoslavia
Introduced into: Alabama, Alaska, Alberta, Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Argentina South, Arkansas, Assam, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil South, British Columbia, California, Chile Central, Chile South, Colombia, Colorado, Connecticut, Cuba, Delaware, District of Columbia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Florida, Georgia, Guatemala, Haiti, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Jamaica, Kansas, Kentucky, Korea, Krasnoyarsk, KwaZulu-Natal, Laos, Louisiana, Maine, Manitoba, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Brunswick, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Newfoundland, North Carolina, Northern Provinces, Nova Scotia, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon, Pakistan, Pennsylvania, Peru, Primorye, Prince Edward I., Québec, Rhode I., Réunion, Sakhalin, Saskatchewan, Sinai, South Carolina, Texas, Tristan da Cunha, Utah, Venezuela, Vermont, Vietnam, Virginia, Washington, West Himalaya, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Yukon
Ease of Growing: Easy
Grown as: Annual: 8-11
Perennial: 4-7
Maturity: 60-70 Days
Light: Full sun to partial shade in warm climates.
Water: Wet to Medium
Attracts Beneficial Insects?: Yes. Bees, & Butterflies.
Containers?: Yes
Height: 9”
Spacing: 6-12”
Sow Depth: Press into soil surface
USDA Zone: 4-11
Produces: light green/purplish stems, lance-shaped leaves, and tricolor blooms in purple, yellow and white that have deep purple veins.
Edible Uses: Tea.
Young leaves and flower buds - raw or cooked. When added to soup they thicken it in much the same way as okra. A tea can be made from the leaves. The small attractive flowers are added to salads or used as a garnish.
Anodyne; Antiasthmatic; Antiinflammatory; Antiseborrheic; Antispasmodic; Cardiac; Demulcent; Depurative;
Diaphoretic; Diuretic; Emetic; Emollient; Expectorant; Homeopathy; Laxative; Vulnerary.
Pansy has a long history of herbal use and was at one time in high repute as a treatment for epilepsy, asthma, skin diseases and a wide range of other complaints. In modern herbalism it is seen as a purifying herb and is taken internally in the treatment of skin complaints such as eczema. The herb is anodyne, antiasthmatic, anti-inflammatory, cardiac, demulcent, depurative, diaphoretic, diuretic, emollient, expectorant, laxative and vulnerary. Being expectorant, it is used in the treatment of various chest complaints such as bronchitis and whooping cough, whilst its diuretic action makes it useful for treating rheumatism, cystitis and difficulty in passing urine. It is also used as an ointment for treating eczema and other skin complaints and is also useful in cases of rheumatism, bed-wetting etc. The plant is harvested from June to August and dried for later use. The root is emetic. A homeopathic remedy is made from the entire plant. It is used in the treatment of cutaneous eruptions.
Suggested Varieties
(Tagetes erecta ‘Naughty Marietta’)
Naughty Marietta Marigold is a compact annual flower that is native to Mexico but can be commonly found growing on banks and slopes throughout the central and eastern United States. At maturity, this plant reaches a height of 6-12” and features divided green foliage and aromatic flower heads with yellow petals with mahogany streaks at their base. This plant can be grown in a container, attracts bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and ladybugs, repels bean beetles, cabbage loopers, and nematodes, is both edible and medicinal, and can be used as a trap crop for aphids.
(Tagetes erecta ‘Sparky Mix’)
Sparky Marigold is a compact annual flower that is native to Mexico but can be commonly found growing on banks and slopes throughout the central and eastern United States. This plant grows up to 9-12 inches tall and has green foliage that is divided. Its orange and yellow flowers have wavy petals and emit a pleasant aroma. This plant can be grown in a container, attracts bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and ladybugs, repels bean beetles, cabbage loopers, and nematodes, is both edible and medicinal, and can be used as a trap crop for aphids.