Practical
Plants

Viola cornuta

Horned Violet

a perennial evergreen member of the Viola genus in the family Violaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Violaceae
Genus
Viola
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Growth rate
vigorous
Height
0.2 m
Spread
0.2 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Young leaves and flower buds - raw or cooked[2]. When added to soup they thicken it in much the same way as okra[9][1]. Flowers - raw[2]. A tea can be made from the leaves[9].

Plant part
Flowers
Plant part
Leaves
Product or use
Tea

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A useful ground cover plant for a cool open situation[4]. It needs weeding for the first year or two[4] but then forms an effective weed-excluding cover[7]. Plants are best spaced about 60cm apart each way[6].

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Soil surface

Ground cover

Environment

Range
S. W. Europe - Spain, Pyrenees. Occasionally naturalized in Britain.
Habitat
Mountain pastures.
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 5+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

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.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Easily grown in any fertile soil in full sun or partial shade[7]. Prefers a well-drained moisture-retentive soil[3]. Tolerates sandstone and limestone soils but becomes chlorotic if the pH is too high. Prefers a pH between 6 and 6.5[5]. A very ornamental plant, there are many named forms[5]. If the plants are cut back after flowering they will flower again in late summer[6]. 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[8][9][1]. This species has deep-violet flowers[7].

References

  1. McPherson. A. and S. Wild Food Plants of Indiana. Indiana University Press 1977-00-00 ISBN 0-253-28925-4

    ↩1↩2

  2. Schofield. J. J. Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest.

    ↩1↩2

  3. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7

    ↩

  4. Royal Horticultural Society. Ground Cover Plants. Cassells. 1989-00-00 ISBN 0-304-31089-1

    ↩1↩2

  5. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2

  6. Thomas. G. S. Plants for Ground Cover J. M. Dent & Sons 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-460-12609-1

    ↩1↩2

  7. Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0 460 86048 8

    ↩1↩2↩3

  8. Elias. T. and Dykeman. P. A Field Guide to N. American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold 1982-00-00 ISBN 0442222009

    ↩

  9. Harrington. H. D. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press 1967-00-00 ISBN 0-8623-0343-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

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