Sorbet® XP Raspberry
Viola cornuta
Wikimedia Commons via Viola cornuta
Upright stems with petite 1-1 1/2" flowers. Tolerates temperature extremes and will bloom through winter in the South when planted in fall. Excellent in containers and garden beds. A sweet blend of raspberry and plum hues with some blooms also showing ivory and pale pink. 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, upright 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 Sorbet® XP Raspberry in USDA Zone 7
All Zone 7 flower →Zone Map
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Sorbet® XP Raspberry · 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
Sorbet XP Raspberry peaks in spring and fall, so two successions are worth planning if you want continuous bloom. Start seeds indoors in February–March (zone 7), transplant in April, and sow a second round indoors in mid-July for a fall planting going out in late August or early September. That second flush often outlasts the first — fall light is gentler and plants hold longer before frost finishes them.
Don't try to push a third succession into summer heat. Once daytime highs are consistently above 82–85°F, new transplants stall and bloom quality drops off fast. Pull the spent spring planting, fill the gap with a heat-tolerant summer annual, and save your fall starts for when temperatures back off.
Complete Growing Guide
Upright stems with petite 1-1 1/2" flowers. Tolerates temperature extremes and will bloom through winter in the South when planted in fall. Excellent in containers and garden beds. A sweet blend of raspberry and plum hues with some blooms also showing ivory and pale pink. 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, upright 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, Sorbet® XP Raspberry 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
Sorbet® XP Raspberry reaches harvest at 60 - 70 days from sowing per Johnny's Selected Seeds. Expect 1-1 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; refrigerate at 35-40°F if storing for more than a few hours to extend shelf life to 5-7 days. Maintain moderate humidity to prevent wilting. For preservation, dry flowers by hanging upside down in a cool, dark space for 2-3 weeks, creating long-lasting decorative elements. Freeze flowers in ice cubes with water for novelty garnishes lasting several months. Alternatively, candy flowers by coating with egg white and superfine sugar, then drying at room temperature for 24-48 hours; store in airtight containers for up to 2 months.
History & Origin
Sorbet® XP Raspberry is an F1 hybrid developed through controlled cross-pollination. Listed in the Johnny's Selected Seeds catalog.
Origin: France and Spain
Advantages
- +Stunning raspberry-plum blooms with ivory accents brighten containers and garden beds
- +Tolerates temperature extremes and blooms through winter in southern fall plantings
- +Produces abundant 12-20 inch stems perfect for cut flower arrangements
- +Edible flowers with wintergreen flavor work beautifully in salads and desserts
- +Dense upright growth yields prolific blooms in just 60-70 days
Considerations
- -Petite 1-1.5 inch flowers may get lost in large landscape plantings
- -Requires fall planting in South for winter blooming performance
- -Cut stems best harvested mid-to-late spring limits year-round harvesting
Companion Plants
Marigolds and sweet alyssum are the most useful neighbors here. Marigolds (especially Tagetes patula) deter aphids and whiteflies through scent, which matters because violas are low-growing and slow to recover from a hard aphid hit. Sweet alyssum attracts hoverflies and parasitic wasps — beneficial insects that predate the same aphids and thrips that like to work over viola foliage. Both stay in the 6–12 inch height range, so neither one shades out Sorbet XP Raspberry.
Nasturtiums are worth including as a trap crop. Aphids genuinely prefer nasturtium foliage, so planting a few nearby draws pressure away from your violas before it starts. Borage is a magnet for pollinators and its sprawling habit can provide some light afternoon shade if you're pushing the season into warmer temperatures — useful for a variety that fades past 82°F. Petunias make sense visually (similar scale, overlapping bloom time) but don't offer much in terms of pest dynamics; they're just pleasant to look at alongside the raspberry tones.
Keep black walnut and eucalyptus well away from this bed. Black walnut roots release juglone, and eucalyptus leaves and bark shed cineole — both are allelopathic compounds that suppress growth in nearby plants. Fennel has a similar effect through root exudates and volatile oils; it tends to inhibit most garden plants around it, ornamentals included, so grow it in its own isolated spot.
Plant Together
Marigolds
Repel aphids, whiteflies, and nematodes while attracting beneficial insects
Sweet Alyssum
Attracts beneficial insects like hoverflies and parasitic wasps that control pests
Nasturtiums
Act as trap crops for aphids and cucumber beetles while repelling whiteflies
Basil
Repels aphids, spider mites, and thrips with its strong aromatic oils
Petunias
Repel aphids, tomato hornworms, and squash bugs while attracting pollinators
Lavender
Deters moths, fleas, and flies while attracting beneficial pollinators
Zinnia
Attracts ladybugs, lacewings, and other beneficial predators that control aphids
Borage
Attracts pollinators and beneficial insects while improving soil through deep roots
Keep Apart
Black Walnut
Produces juglone toxin that inhibits growth and can kill sensitive flowering plants
Eucalyptus
Allelopathic oils inhibit germination and growth of nearby plants
Fennel
Produces allelopathic compounds that stunt growth of most companion plants
Troubleshooting Sorbet® XP Raspberry
What you'll see, why it happens, and what to do about it.
Gray fuzzy coating on leaves and stems, usually after a stretch of cool, damp weather
Likely Causes
- Botrytis cinerea (gray mold) — thrives in humid, still air and temps between 55–75°F
- Crowded spacing that traps moisture between plants
What to Do
- 1.Remove and trash (don't compost) any affected tissue immediately
- 2.Space plants at least 12 inches apart and thin aggressively if you've let them crowd
- 3.Water at the base, not overhead, and water in the morning so foliage dries before nightfall
Tiny, irregular white or silvery streaks and stippling across the upper leaf surface
Likely Causes
- Western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis) — common on violas grown in warm conditions
- Spider mites (Tetranychus urticae) — more likely if weather is hot and dry above 80°F
What to Do
- 1.Flip a few leaves and look for tiny moving specks or thrips larvae to confirm which pest you have
- 2.Knock mites off with a strong spray of water for 3–4 consecutive mornings
- 3.For thrips, apply insecticidal soap every 5–7 days until new growth comes in clean
Plants flowering sparsely with small, washed-out blooms after doing fine earlier in the season
Likely Causes
- Heat stress — Sorbet XP Raspberry fades fast once daytime temps consistently push past 80–85°F
- Spent flowers left on the plant signaling it to stop producing
What to Do
- 1.Deadhead every 4–5 days; removing spent blooms is the single biggest thing you can do to extend the flush
- 2.If temperatures are already climbing, accept that the show is winding down — pull and replace with a heat-tolerant annual
- 3.For next year, time your transplants so plants are well-established before the heat arrives
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you grow Sorbet XP Raspberry in containers?▼
How long do the flowers last on the plant?▼
Is Sorbet XP Raspberry good for beginner gardeners?▼
When should I plant Sorbet XP Raspberry?▼
What do the flowers taste like and how are they used in cooking?▼
Are these flowers good for cutting and floral arrangements?▼
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.