The common blue violet is an attractive wildflower known for its blue to purplish white hues. It is common in North America, where it is sometimes associated with a weed. The plant is popular as an ornamental, and it is a state flower in several states in the US. Its flowers and leaves are edible and safe to be planted near pets.
I. Appearance and Characteristics
Viola sororia ( vy-OH-lə sə-ROR-ee-ə), known commonly as the common blue violet, is a short-stemmed herbaceous perennial plant native to eastern North America. It is known by a number of common names, including common meadow violet, purple violet, woolly blue violet, hooded violet, and wood violet.
This perennial plant is distributed in the eastern half of the United States, Canada, and a part of eastern Mexico. Its native habitats are rich, moist woods, and swamps located in the eastern half of the United States and Canada. Its cultivar ‘Albiflora’ has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.
Viola sororia is a short-stemmed, herbaceous perennial plant that grows in well-drained and shady habitats. This 15–25 centimeters (6–10 in) wide violet has glossy, heart-shaped leaves and are topped with purple flowers with white throats. The lower three petals are hairy and the stem of the flower droops slightly. These flowers can be found in the woods, thickets, and near stream beds. V. sororia can live and reproduce for more than 10 years. Blooming in the spring and summer (April–August), Viola sororia can be found in colors of white, blue, or purple.
Viola sororia is found primarily in forests and is interfertile, meaning it is likely and able to breed with other closely related Viola species. The species grows on forest floors and can adapt to sunny or partly shady conditions. The leaves develop in the early spring when the surrounding tree crowns are not fully closed. When the forest canopy closes, the leaves continue to grow and develop. Soils preferred by V. sororia are moist, rich, and well drained.
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Viola sororia is known as a wild violet that may be hard to control due to its sometime weedy nature. Halauxifen-methyl has shown promising results on hard-to-control weeds, including Viola sororia.
Viola sororia leaves and flowers are edible in moderation and also safe to plant around pets.
II. How to Grow and Care
Sunlight
Violas prefer sun or shade, but they don’t like heat. This isn’t a problem in cool spring temperatures. But when planting in the summer, make sure they get some shade during the hottest part of the afternoon.
Temperature and Humidity
Violas love the cool weather of early spring, and thrive in milder temperatures from 40 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Mulch and water will help offset the stress of high temperatures.
With proper care, violas can bloom all summer and most will bloom again in the fall. Or, particularly in hot, southern climates, they can be removed and replaced with another flower during the summer and then planted again when cooler weather returns in the fall.
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Watering
Common blue violet thrives in medium amounts of moisture and is somewhat tolerant of drought. Allow the soil to become dry before watering to avoid waterlogging the soil. Apply water directly to the soil and avoid getting the leaves or flowers wet to prevent disease.
Soil
Pansies and the other violas are best grown in humusy, moist soil, such as a peat-based potting mix, or garden soil heavily amended with organic material. Violas like a slightly acidic soil; peat moss as a soil additive will help slightly acidify garden soil.
Fertilizing
Common blue violet will enjoy slow-release fertilizer at the start of its growing season in the spring and again during late summer to encourage autumn flowering. Water-soluble fertilizer can be applied once every two weeks during the growing season. Common blue violet responds well to organic fertilizer as well.
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Pruning
To promote blooming and extend the flowering period, remove or deadhead faded flowers by pinching off the blooms at the base of the flower stem. You can revive leggy or overgrown plants by cutting them back to about 3 to 4 inches tall.
Propagation
Violas are easy to start from seed. They are quite happy to self-seed all over your garden, but in cold climates, the volunteers might not bloom until quite late in the season. If you would like to start your own indoors, the process is very straightforward. Start seed about 8 to 12 weeks before transplanting. Mature violas can withstand occasional freezing temperatures, but new transplants may be damaged if exposed to a freeze. Warm climate gardeners transplanting in the fall should start their seeds in midsummer.
- Fill small pots or flats with sterile potting mix to about 1/4 inch below the top edge. Sprinkle two to three seeds in each cell or pot, and cover lightly with the more moistened potting mix. Violas need darkness to germinate, so cover the seeds completely.
- Set in a warm (65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit) location, and keep moist. On top of the refrigerator is a good spot. Seeds should begin to germinate in 10 to 14 days. Once the seeds sprout, move them to a sunny window or place them under plant lights.
- When the first true leaves appear, you must thin the pot or cell to the strongest-looking seeding by pinching or cutting the others at the soil line. At this point, a temperature of 55 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit is fine. You can also begin feeding your seedlings with any good balanced, water-soluble fertilizer.
- When temperatures and weather permit transplanting outdoors, begin to harden off the seedlings by giving them increasingly long visits outdoors over a period of 10 to 14 days. Start with one to two hours of sunlight, and gradually increase their exposure. Make sure the soil stays moist during this hardening off period.
- Once the seedlings have grown accustomed to full days outdoors, you can plant them permanently into the garden or into their outdoor pots.
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You can also grow from seeds sown directly into the garden, though this works best in regions where there is a long growing season. Carefully prepare the planting area by amending it with organic matter, and then loosen the soil and sprinkle seeds. Cover with about 1/4 inch of soil, and water well. Keep the seedbed moist. As the seedlings develop, thin them to about 6 to 8 inches apart, transplanting the excess seedlings to other locations.
Overwintering
Violas do survive the winter in warm climates. And through the winter, violas can even continue blooming in these zones. Be sure to check the hardiness zones on your particular variety, as some have more cold tolerance than others.
Continue to fertilize throughout the winter; a liquid fertilizer is often better than granule for easier absorption if there’s frost on the ground. Then, just make sure your violas are getting enough sun and not sitting in soggy soil. If your area is expecting unseasonably cold weather, add a couple inches of straw or mulch over your violas to help insulate the roots.
Pests and Diseases
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Common Pests & Plant Diseases
To avoid gray mold, don’t let your plants sit in cool, wet conditions. And make sure your violas get plenty of sunshine and have good air circulation. If you notice aphids, wash the plants off with a strong stream of water. Or for severe problems, treat them with insecticidal soap.
Common Problems
While violas are generally some of the easiest plants to grow in your garden, you’ll occasionally have small problems you can fix without too much trouble.
- Brown Spots on the Leaves
Violas can succumb to a number of fungal diseases, such as leaf spot or anthracnose. All can be remedied by removing the affected leaves with clean garden shears and treating the viola with a fungicide.
- Drooping Leaves or Flowers
Drooping leaves or flowers can happen for several reasons, including too much or too little water or overcrowding. This problem is easily remedied once you troubleshoot the source. If it’s a problem with watering, stick your finger into the soil to see whether it’s too dry or too moist, and adjust accordingly. If your violas look like they need more breathing room, replant with more space in between the plants.
III. Uses and Benefits
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Beyond its use as a common lawn and garden plant, Viola sororia has historically been used for food and for medicine. The flowers and leaves are edible, and some sources suggest the roots can also be eaten. The Cherokee have used it to treat colds and headaches. Rafinesque, in his Medical Flora, a Manual of the Medical Botany of the United States of North America (1828–1830), wrote of Viola sororia being used by his American contemporaries for coughs, sore throats, and constipation.
Common blue violet (Viola sororia) is an attractive and popular perennial. It is low-growing so is best grown in beds and at the front of borders in cottage and coastal gardens. This plant’s main appeal is its spring and (sometimes) summer-blooming showy flowers, which are best displayed in containers or as ground cover. Woodland phlox offers an excellent color contrast to this flower.
Viola sororia is high in vitamins A and C. The young leaves and flower buds can be eaten raw or cooked, or brewed for tea. It may also work as an anti-inflammatory and has been used topically for skin conditions. Viola sororia is deer resistant.
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