Dog Violet
Viola canina
Family: Violaceae
What it is like
Viola canina is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.4 m (1ft 4in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 6 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from July to August. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid and neutral soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 0.4
Where it is found
Heaths, dry grasslands, dunes and fens to 420 metres.
Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to Spain and temperate Asia to Japan.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 3
Young leaves and flower buds - raw or cooked. When added to soups, they thicken them in much the same way as okra. A tea can be made from the leaves.
Tea: the various herb teas that can be used in place of tea, plus the genuine article.
Medicine
Rating: 1
The flowers and leaves are powerfully cathartic and emetic. The plant has also had a reputation for curing skin diseases.
Cathartic: A strong laxative but less violent than a purgative.
Emetic: Induces vomiting.
Other
Rating:
How it is grown
Prefers a cool moist well-drained humus-rich soil in partial or dappled shade and protection from scorching winds. Tolerates sandstone and limestone soils but becomes chlorotic if the pH is too high. Prefers a pH between 6 and 6.5. All members of this genus have more or less edible leaves and flower buds, though those species with yellow flowers can cause diarrhoea if eaten in large quantities.
Propagating it: Seed - best sown in the autumn in a cold frame. Sow stored seed in early spring in a cold frame. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in the summer. Division in the autumn or just after flowering. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions, though we have found that it is best to pot up smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse or cold frame until they are growing away well. Plant them out in the summer or the following spring.
Best place to grow: Meadow;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 5-9
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist