Penny™ Marina
Viola cornuta
Photo: National Science Foundation · Wikimedia Commons · (Public domain)
Compact, mounding habit with 1 1/2" blooms. Adaptable to a wide range of growing conditions. Excellent in containers and garden beds. The bloom color is pale blue with a darker blotch at the flower's center. Cut flowers: Overwinters well in our unheated tunnel (Zone 5) from a fall planting, yielding 12-20" long stems under those conditions. Harvestable in mid-to-late spring. Dense plants produce abundant stems and blooms. Edible Flowers: Decorative and edible garnish for salads and desserts with slight wintergreen flavor. While a popular choice for brightening up salad mix, the flowers are also good for candying.Also known as Johnny jump-up, European field pansy, heart's ease, and hybrid violet.
Harvest
60-70d
Days to harvest
Sun
Full sun to partial shade
Zones
6–11
USDA hardiness
Height
6-9 inches
Planting Timeline
Showing dates for Penny™ Marina in USDA Zone 7
All Zone 7 flower →Zone Map
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Penny™ Marina · Zones 6–11
Growing Details
Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar
| Zone | Indoor Start | Transplant | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | May – June | July – August | July – September | — |
| Zone 2 | April – May | June – July | June – August | — |
| Zone 11 | January – January | January – February | January – March | — |
| Zone 12 | January – January | January – February | January – March | — |
| Zone 13 | January – January | January – February | January – March | — |
| Zone 3 | April – May | June – July | June – August | — |
| Zone 4 | March – April | June – June | June – July | — |
| Zone 5 | March – April | May – June | May – July | — |
| Zone 6 | March – April | May – June | May – July | — |
| Zone 7 | February – March | April – May | April – June | — |
| Zone 8 | February – March | April – May | April – June | — |
| Zone 9 | January – February | March – April | March – May | — |
| Zone 10 | January – January | February – March | February – April | — |
Succession Planting
Start seeds indoors 10–12 weeks before your last frost date for spring color, then sow or transplant again in late summer — around August — for a fall run. Penny Marina handles light frost down to about 28°F, so a fall planting can carry well into November in zones 7 and above. Skip any mid-summer attempt; above 80°F the plants stall and decline rather than establish. Two plantings per year, one in early spring and one in late summer, is the practical rhythm.
Complete Growing Guide
Compact, mounding habit with 1 1/2" blooms. Adaptable to a wide range of growing conditions. Excellent in containers and garden beds. The bloom color is pale blue with a darker blotch at the flower's center. Cut flowers: Overwinters well in our unheated tunnel (Zone 5) from a fall planting, yielding 12-20" long stems under those conditions. Harvestable in mid-to-late spring. Dense plants produce abundant stems and blooms. Edible Flowers: Decorative and edible garnish for salads and desserts with slight wintergreen flavor. While a popular choice for brightening up salad mix, the flowers are also good for candying.Also known as Johnny jump-up, European field pansy, heart's ease, and hybrid violet. According to Johnny's Selected Seeds, Penny™ Marina is 60 - 70 days to maturity, annual, hybrid (f1). Notable features: Grows Well in Containers, Edible Flowers.
Light: Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day), Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours). Soil: Clay, Loam (Silt), Sand. Soil pH: Acid (<6.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0). Drainage: Good Drainage, Moist. Height: 0 ft. 6 in. - 0 ft. 9 in.. Spread: 0 ft. 6 in. - 1 ft. 0 in.. Spacing: Less than 12 inches. Growth rate: Rapid. Maintenance: Low, Medium. Propagation: Division, Seed. Regions: Coastal, Mountains, Piedmont.
Harvesting
Penny™ Marina reaches harvest at 60 - 70 days from sowing per Johnny's Selected Seeds. Expect 1 1/2" at peak. As an annual, harvest continues until frost ends the season.
The fruit is a three valves capsule. The seeds have an oily feel and are freely dispersed by ants.
Edibility: Flowers and leaves are edible.
Storage & Preservation
Fresh flowers should be kept in a cool location away from direct sunlight and ripening fruit, ideally in a refrigerator (35-40°F) with 85-90% humidity in a vase with fresh water changed daily; shelf life is 5-7 days when properly chilled. For preservation, gently press flowers between parchment paper in a heavy book for 2-3 weeks to create dried specimens suitable for crafts and arrangements. Alternatively, candy the flowers by brushing with egg white, coating with superfine sugar, and drying on parchment for 24-48 hours for edible garnishes lasting several weeks. Freezing in ice cubes with water creates decorative additions for beverages.
History & Origin
Penny™ Marina is an F1 hybrid developed through controlled cross-pollination. Listed in the Johnny's Selected Seeds catalog.
Origin: France and Spain
Advantages
- +Pale blue blooms with darker center blotch provide elegant garden contrast
- +Compact mounding form suits containers and small garden spaces well
- +Overwinters reliably in Zone 5 unheated tunnels for spring cut flower production
- +Edible flowers offer dual-purpose garnish with distinctive wintergreen flavor
- +60-70 day maturity allows quick succession plantings for continuous blooms
Considerations
- -Requires consistent moisture; drought stress reduces bloom quality and density
- -Pale blue color may fade in intense summer heat conditions
- -Cut stems only reach 12-20 inches under tunnel conditions, limiting arrangement options
Companion Plants
Marigolds — specifically French marigolds (Tagetes patula) — are the most practical neighbor here, since they deter aphids and whiteflies that hit violas just as readily as vegetables. Alyssum earns its spot too: it stays at 4–6 inches and won't shade out Penny Marina, while pulling in predatory wasps that knock back aphid populations. Sunflowers are the main planting to avoid — they're shallow-rooted and thirsty, and they'll out-compete a 6-inch viola for moisture fast. Black walnut is a harder no: the roots and decomposing hulls leach juglone into the soil, a compound that stunts or kills many annuals, and violas aren't tolerant of it.
Plant Together
Marigolds
Repel nematodes and aphids while attracting beneficial insects
Alyssum
Attracts beneficial insects like lacewings and provides ground cover
Nasturtiums
Act as trap crops for aphids and cucumber beetles
Petunias
Repel aphids, tomato hornworms, and other garden pests
Zinnia
Attract beneficial pollinators and predatory insects
Lavender
Repels moths, fleas, and mosquitoes with strong fragrance
Cosmos
Attract beneficial insects and provide vertical structure
Salvia
Repel pests and attract pollinators with complementary colors
Keep Apart
Sunflowers
May overshadow and compete for nutrients due to large size
Black Walnut
Produces juglone which is toxic to many flowering plants
Eucalyptus
Allelopathic properties inhibit growth of nearby plants
Troubleshooting Penny™ Marina
What you'll see, why it happens, and what to do about it.
Gray fuzzy coating on leaves or spent blooms, especially during cool, damp stretches
Likely Causes
- Botrytis blight (Botrytis cinerea) — thrives in cool temps below 60°F with poor air circulation
- Deadheads left on the plant too long, giving the fungus an easy entry point
What to Do
- 1.Remove spent flowers every 3–4 days — don't let them sit and rot on the plant
- 2.Thin plantings so air can move; 12 inches between plants is the minimum, not a suggestion
- 3.If it's already spreading, cut back affected growth and trash it — don't compost
Plants stop blooming and stretch leggy around week 8–10, often in late spring
Likely Causes
- Heat stress — Penny Marina starts to decline when daytime temps push consistently above 75–80°F
- Exhausted soil from a heavy early bloom flush
What to Do
- 1.Cut plants back by about one-third and side-dress with a balanced granular fertilizer (10-10-10) to push a second flush before heat finishes them
- 2.Provide afternoon shade with a row cover or shade cloth (30–40%) if you want to stretch the season another few weeks in warmer zones
- 3.Accept that this is a cool-season performer — plan to pull and replace with heat-tolerant annuals by early summer
Small, irregular holes chewed in petals and leaves overnight
Likely Causes
- Slugs (Deroceras reticulatum or similar) — most active in wet weather and at night
- Earwigs, which feed similarly and hide in mulch during the day
What to Do
- 1.Set out iron phosphate bait (Sluggo or equivalent) around the base of plants — safer around pets and birds than metaldehyde
- 2.Pull mulch back a few inches from the crown so slugs lose their daytime cover
- 3.Check under pots and debris at dusk with a flashlight to confirm which pest you're actually dealing with before treating
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do Penny Marina flowers last in a vase?▼
Can you grow Penny Marina pansies in containers?▼
Is Penny Marina good for beginners?▼
What does Penny Marina taste like?▼
When should I plant Penny Marina pansies?▼
Can Penny Marina pansies be candied for decoration?▼
Growing Guides from Wind River Greens
Where to Buy Seeds
Sources & References
External authority sources used in compiling this guide.
- BreederJohnny's Selected Seeds
See the Methodology page for how this data is sourced, what's AI-assisted, and known limitations.