The leaves on my mature plants are yellow-brown and starting to shrivel. Seedlings' leaves are still green.
I live in southern England and grow my plants in pots in a cold well-ventilated greenhouse. No botrytis, though some other species in nearby pots have suffered from that during recent mild damp weather.

Hi Mike,
I have some flats of 'Sylettas' in an unheated greenhouse. The 2 1/2" pots are not showing any leaves or stems. While the 3 1/2" pots have yellowing center leaves with dying, dried brown leaves around the edge. Come spring, I usually have no problems getting most to pop back up, or like you mentioned- ample selfseeding.
If I keep them too wet, and/or poor circulation I have had Botrytis in previous years, and rotted some out. They did still reseed themselves. Outside, I do seem to overlook them. So it can be a struggle.
Patricia

I planted two 'Syletta' last year and had another two waiting in pots nearby - within two days, the slugs had eaten everything. I saved the pots thinking, "maybe..." and, sure enough, one of the plants looks to be coming back. The other pot has a bunch of viola-looking seedlings coming up so we'll see. It's such a gorgeous plant that I'll put some effort into protecting it this time.

Lee Anna

Thanks for your contributions, Patricia and LeeAnna.
I'd best make one of my own...

My main plant did not make it through the winter. No botrytis, just did not regrow in spring. But I have seedlings coming up just fine in its pot, and in others nearby. Even as toddlers, they are recognizable as this species.

Mike

This is a plant I am now attempting to grow from seed. Any tips? It is beautiful, and am hoping to keep it healthy!

dmi188 - You ask "Any tips?"

Keep away from slugs and snails.

Keep in cold greenhouse over winter - to protect from cold+wet (though I'd be interested to know how they might do outside over winter in Ohio if you/they spend a good deal of time frozen - they may get by OK like many alpines in such situations). Try growing them in large pans - so you can easily move them between garden and cold greenhouse as weather dictates. That may also make them less susceptible to slugs and snails when outside.

Give them good light, but I would avoid full sun.
Don't let them dry out. Many violets have remarkable powers of coming back from the frazzled, if you let them dry out, but this one is not so robust in that respect, I find.

Watch out for the usual pests - aphids and red spider mite (RSM can be harder to spot on these darker leaves with reddish undersides).

They will actually grow in a variety of soils during the greater part of the year - they do not have to be well drained. The gritty compost sometimes advocated is mainly to try to help them avoid being too wet when cold over winter.

Do not expect them to last very long - two or three years. Expect to keep them going from seedlings, which usually turn up of their own volition. Since any individual plant may not last many seasons, it is important to get them growing well - so they get to flowering size before they pass their 'best before' date. I am still experimenting with the best fertilizers for this purpose; I expect one enriched with trace elements and high in phosphorus (to encourage root growth) to be good. In the UK, I would suggest MiracleGrow.

The foliage is pretty enough, but the flowers are a great bonus. Good luck.