​Viola sororia, Woolly Blue Violet

While some would call these violets aggressive spreaders, I prefer to think of them as the cure for monoculture turf and bare patches of soil.

Their furls of brilliant green leaves emerge shortly after the snow melts, generally around mid April in Ottawa, with the cheerful flowers rising above the new leaves a few weeks later.

Their blooming season continues over a few weeks and their foliage stays green and full through the summer.

They are quick to fill in bare spaces, slipping in wherever sunlight and soil are not being collected and covered, respectively. Happily, spring blooming violets and summer blooming perennials share space quite well, with the violets perfectly cohabitating and filling the spaces between and below taller species like Monarda, Pink Swamp Milkweed, Black Cohosh, Spiderwort, Bluestem Goldenrod and Anise Hyssop. I’ve found that they make lovely edging along paths, where their small, early blooms can be appreciated before nearby, taller plants bush out in late June. They are also amazingly tolerant of mowing and foot traffic, for those looking for alternatives to European grasses in turf areas. Not a reasonable replacement all on their own, but quite happy as part of a low growing, mixed plant community.

The oblong seed pods nod down below the foliage through the summer, slowly maturing before turning to face up again and opening into three pointed stars. As the pods dry, they squeeze the small round seeds until they pop loose and are hurled several feet away. -Something that I learned when trying to track down the source of the occasional quiet pop or ticking sound coming from the plant shelf in my dining room where I spread out trays of plant seeds to dry.

They thrive in locations that receive full sun in the spring and some shade in the heat of summer but are quite tolerant of a range of growing and light conditions. They love evenly moist, woodland soil but will grow perfectly well in lean and sandy soils as long as last year’s leaves are left to compost in place and, while they will wilt when very dry, they bounce back quickly once water is available again.

Plant height tends to be around 12” by early summer and, while they are patch forming by nature, I would suggest spacing of around 12” if you are envisioning them as a thick groundcover.

Their fuzzy little purple faces aren’t the only way that violets bring colour to the garden. They also provide the foliage that Fritillary butterflies feed on as caterpillars. While the butterflies are most often spotted on summer blooming plants, these beautiful adults wouldn’t be around without the violets to provide the nursery.