Native Violets of Ontario
Discover the Beauty and Benefits of Native Violets in Ontario Gardens
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: Clay, loam, silt. Prefers soil high in organic matter
Habitat: Forests, floodplain forests, stream borders
Sweet white violet brings a delightful combination of beauty, fragrance, and practicality to the garden.
This low-maintenance native Viola thrives in shaded areas, naturalizing easily in woodland gardens, rock gardens, and partly shaded borders. Their welcoming, pure-white flowers, highlighted with purple stripes, bloom in early spring and fill the garden with fragrance. The heart-shaped, dark green leaves form lush, carpet-like groundcovers, making them ideal for filling in bare spots or creating a weed-resistant groundcover layer in shade gardens.
As stoloniferous perennials, they spread via runners, requiring minimal care while enhancing the landscape with charm and natural appeal.
Labrador Violet (Viola labradorica)
Height: 20cm, 8inch
Exposure: Dappled shade, part shade
Soil: Loam, sand. Organically rich
Habitat: Forests, swamps, shorelines
Labrador Violet is cherished for its heart-shaped, purple-tinged foliage, which creates a striking groundcover throughout the growing season. These purple tinged leaves make it an ideal replacement for the invasive bugleweed.
In spring, delicate lavender-blue flowers bloom atop leafy stems, adding subtle color to moist, shaded areas like woodland gardens, borders, or container plantings. It appreciates rich soil.
In ideal conditions it will spread quickly using rhizomes and seeds, making it a dependable choice to cover the ground quickly. Its ability to blend ornamental appeal with practical ground coverage makes it a delightful addition to any garden.
Canada Violet (Viola canadensis)
Height: 30cm, 1ft
Exposure: Sun to part shade
Soil: Sand, loam , clay, rocky
Habitat: Open woods, deciduous forests
Canada violet (Viola canadensis) is a versatile native wildflower that brings beauty and ecological benefits to shaded woodland gardens. It will tolerate a range of soil and light conditions, making it very easy to grow.
This clump-forming violet features heart-shaped, dark green leaves and fragrant, dainty white flowers with yellow centers and a purple tinge on the back of the upper petals.
Canada Violet maintains a mounding form and clumping habit although it freely self-seeds. It is more well-behaved than other violets.
Canada Violet is sometimes found growing wild 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 more challening to grow than other violets and requires more specific growing conditions but rewards the gardener with a unique and delicate beauty.
This compact, low-growing perennial features deeply divided, bird’s foot-shaped leaves and pastel-coloured flowers that bloom in early spring, with some plants re-blooming in early fall. Its flowers, often bi-colored in shades of purple and blue with an orange center, thrive in sandy or gravelly, well-drained soils and full sun to light shade, making it perfect for rock gardens, dry slopes, and prairie-inspired landscapes.
It maintains a clumping habit but will spread via self-seeding if happy.
Note that it doesn’t like competition from taller plants as it is naturally found in black oak savannas where it relies on fire to remove trees that would otherwise shade it out. While more challenging to grow than other violets, Viola pedata rewards gardeners who provide excellent drainage and space for its delicate beauty.
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 livens up shady corners of woodland or naturalized shade gardens with its flush of yellow blooms.
Its heart-shaped leaves form a lush, verdant groundcover while its five-petaled flowers brighten shaded areas from spring through summer, with distinctive brown-purple veins on the lower petal adding visual interest.
It produces both showy flowers and small, self-pollinating bud-like blooms later in the season, ensuring a consistent seed set. This hardy violet thrives in rich, organic soils with part sun to shade and tolerates acidic conditions, making it an adaptable groundcover for dry, shady spots.
Its clump-forming habit, spreading via rhizomes and self-seeding, creates lush, natural carpets that pair beautifully with woodland companions like Trillium.
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.
