Horned violet takes its common and Latin names from the flower itself, likely from the narrow, straight nectar spur projecting from the back of each bloom, or possibly from the two uppermost petals that angle outward like small horns. The species flowers are blue, violet, or lavender, sometimes two-toned; modern cultivars and hybrids extend the palette to red, white, yellow, and apricot. Native to the Pyrenees, it is evergreen and herbaceous, spreading by creeping stems up to twelve inches long to form a low mat from half a foot to three-quarters of a foot tall.

Blooming in spring alongside tulips, which make natural companions given their shared timing and contrasting forms, horned violet prefers humusy, moist, and well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Heat is its main limitation: a long stretch of warm summer weather will suppress flowering, and cutting the plants back when this happens gives them the best chance of reblooming when temperatures fall again. Deadheading can also prompt new buds. Hardy from zone 6 to 11, it can be grown as a perennial or an annual depending on climate. Once established, the mat is dense enough to resist weed penetration, which reduces maintenance considerably over time.