Care Of Indoor Violets: How To Grow Violets Indoors

Potted Violet Plant In Green Pot
potted violet
(Image credit: popovaphoto)

Violets are easy to love. They’re beautiful, they’re fragrant, and they’re virtually maintenance free. So, it only makes sense to want to bring that into your home. Can you grow violets inside? It’s a tricky question, and not really one with a satisfying answer. Keep reading to learn more about the wisdom of growing violets indoors.

Growing Violets Indoors

Can you grow violets inside? The short answer is no. Violets like full sun, cool weather, and consistently moist soil. It’s hard to give them any of these things indoors, let alone all three. If you try growing violets indoors, they will likely get very spindly and eventually die. Violets are hardy annuals, meaning that they’ll survive a light frost in the fall, but won’t make it through a hard frost or a freeze. Since they’re annuals, though, their lifespan lasts only through a single growing season. Bringing them inside in the fall may extend their lives a little bit, but they most likely won’t survive to be replanted in the spring. That being said, they do grow well in containers. Even if you don’t have a garden, a small clump of violets in a window box or hanging basket could be a good compromise. Another compromise if you’re set on growing violets indoors is the African violet. Though not actually related to violets, they look similar and are famously good houseplants. African violets grow well in low light and will stay tame even in very small pots. If caring for violets indoors is a dream you just can’t shake, then consider getting yourself an African violet. Otherwise, you may be setting yourself up for disappointment. If, however, this plant isn’t for you, you can simply enjoy a potted violet plant outdoors. They look nice on the patio or porch and thrive nicely given suitable growing conditions.

Liz Baessler
Senior Editor

The only child of a horticulturist and an English teacher, Liz Baessler was destined to become a gardening editor. She has been with Gardening Know how since 2015, and a Senior Editor since 2020. She holds a BA in English from Brandeis University and an MA in English from the University of Geneva, Switzerland. After years of gardening in containers and community garden plots, she finally has a backyard of her own, which she is systematically filling with vegetables and flowers.