Native Violets of Ontario
In my opinion, Violets are some of the most over-looked native plants in gardens. Our native species are easily overlooked for the flasy flowers of annual Violas sold in traditional nurseries. However, our native Violets deserve a second look.
Why your garden needs violets
Beauty
Native Violets are often overlooked for the more flashy annual Violas sold in traditional nurseries. However, our native violets deserve a second look! Their small, spring blooming flowers come in a variety of colours and are very showy when planted on mass. Certain species make lush groundcovers
Host Plants
Violets are a host plant for Fritillary butterflies and the caterpillars of several moths.
Groundcover
Many Violets are excellent candidates for fast spreading groundcovers. Some tend to be aggressive in certain conditions but when grown as part of a diverse planting they can play quite well with other plants. For example, Wooly Blue Violet gets a bad reputation for being aggressive in gardens but is less aggressive if planted as a groundcover under taller perennials that can compete with it.
Early blooms
The early and long lasting blooms of Violets support various bees, including Bumblebees, Mason bees, small Carpenter bees, among others. The Violet Andrenid Bee (Andrena violae), is a specialist pollinator of violets. Other pollinators will make use of the flower such as skippers, ants and flies.
Native Ontario Violets:
Ontario has many species of violets however we have listed those that are available commercially at native plant nurseries.
Sweet white violet (Viola blanda)
Height: < 30cm, 1ft
Exposure: Shade, part shade
Soil:
Habitat: Forests, floodplain forests, stream borders
Sweet White Violet is a stoloniferous violet usually found in moist, well-drained soils with a high organic content.
It is valued in shade gardens as a lush groundcover that spreads by runners to carpet the ground.
In spring it shows off with fragrant white flowers that rise above the heart-shaped leaves.
Bog Violet (Viola conspersa)
Height: 20cm, 8inch
Exposure: Dappled shade, part shade
Soil:
Habitat: Forests, swamps, shorelines
Bog Violet is a delicate looking plant with pale blue to violet flowers that bloom in spring.
In your garden it is a suitable groundcover for moist, shady sites with abundant organic matter in the soil.
It is an indicator of high quality habitat as it’s usually found in undisturbed areas.
Canada Violet (Viola canadensis)
Height: 30cm, 1ft
Exposure: Sun to part shade
Soil:
Habitat: Open woods, deciduous forests
Canada Violet is a leafy-stemmed Violet with a mounding form. In your garden it is easy to grow in moist shady areas with rich soil.
It freely self-seeds to make a great groundcover of dark green, heart-shaped leaves. The flowers are creamy-white with yellow centers and bloom from mid-spring into summer.
Canada Violet is sometimes found with Downy Yellow Violet. Try pairing it with Oak Sedge, Woodland Phlox, Trilliums, or Mayapple.
Birdfoot Violet (Viola pedata)
Height: 15cm, .5ft
Exposure: Sun
Soil:
Habitat: Black oak savanna
Birdfoot Violet is a low growing violet with divided leaves that resemble a birds foot. It is naturally found in black oak savannas where it relies on fire to remove trees that would otherwise shade it out.
It typically has purple to light blue flowers that bloom in early spring. It is valued in gardens for it’s ability to tolerate sandy, dry, rocky soils.
Pair it with Red Columbine, Prairie Smoke, Field Pussytoes or Blue-eyed Grass.
Birdfoot Violet is endangered in the wild in Ontario due to habitat loss and fire suppression.
Downy Yellow Violet (Viola pubescens)
Height: <30cm, 1ft
Exposure: Shade, part sun
Soil:
Habitat: Forests, shaded roadsides, open woods
Downy Yellow Violet is easily grown in moist to average, well drained soil in shade. The cheery yellow flowers are accented with purple veins and bloom in early spring.
It is valued in shade gardens for it’s use as a groundcover. It spreads by seeds but not aggressively and will form small colonies over time.
Woolly Blue Violet (Viola sororia)
Height: < 30cm, 1ft
Exposure: Sun to shade
Soil: Sand, loam, clay
Habitat: Woodlands, forest edges, probably in your lawn
Woolly Blue Violet is a very common and easy to grow violet. It prefers light shade but will tolerate full sun in moist soils.
Woolly Blue Violet is often seen as a weed in gardens, however it makes an excellent groundcover when used in diverse plantings. The reason it takes over most gardens is because they readily self-sow into bare soil. Use it as a groundcover around taller plants that can compete with it. It’s much less aggressive in shade.
A personal favorite groundcover for sunny area is Woolly Blue Violet and Wild Strawberry.
Use Woolly Blue Violet to add diversity to no-mow/flowering lawns. The low growth habit means it adapts readily to mowing and can handle light foot traffic when grown in between turf grass.