Horned Violet

Viola cornuta, the horned or tufted violet, is a low spreading perennial from the Pyrenees of France and Spain, forming evergreen mats six to nine inches high. Rounded toothed leaves cover the clump, and small flat-faced flowers with a distinct spur behind each bloom open in spring and again in autumn, in violet, blue, white or apricot.

Unlike bedding pansies, which are effectively annual, this is a genuine perennial and comes back for years. It goes leggy and stops flowering in midsummer heat — shear the whole plant back by half at that point and it returns with a clean autumn flush. The flowers and leaves are edible and useful for decorating food.