White Violets

 White Violet

The White Violet, Viola canadensis, is a small perennial flower that attract a small amount of wildlife. These lovely flowers are great for any garden. 

 USDA Climate Zone: 3 - 6

Soil Type: Moist to Moderately Moist Soils 

Sun: Light Shade to Partial Sun 

White Violets are a plant native to much of North America, from Canada and Minnesota to Tennessee, Georgia, Maryland and beyond.

Native plants are an excellent option for the busy home gardener, as they have spent millennia adapting to the climates and soils of their native habitat and are, therefore, quite easy to grow. The white violet thrives in moist, shady areas where many flowering plants struggle and it will multiply freely to cover a large area quickly. Geranium maculatum or the Wild Geranium develops in dry to wet woods. It is a lasting herbaceous plant extending to 60 cm tall, delivering upright generally unbranched stems and blooms in spring. The rhizomes are secured with scars, demonstrating the remaining parts of stems of earlier years development. Unlike its purple cousin, its white blooms provide a showier display in these areas of low light, where purples tend to disappear into the shadows. It will be among the first blooms to appear in spring when the gardener's heart is yearning for flowers in their landscape and it will continue to bloom through early summer.
The violet has a long and storied history, playing a part in several Greek myths and legends associated with the Virgin Mary. Since ancient times, the violet was considered a symbol of love, good luck, and faithfulness.

The White Violet blooms and leaves are edible, although the consumption of the leaves should be limited to a handful a day.

Two leaves provide the daily requirement of Vitamin C and a generous dose of Vitamin A. The leaves contain salicylic acid, the main ingredient in aspirin and so, it is useful to relieve pain and has even long been used to shrink tumors. Herbalist John Gerard (1545-1612) wrote: “It can ease inflammation, soreness of the throat and comforteth the heart, ease the pains of the head, and causeth sleep.”
The blossoms can even be made into a delicious jelly or syrup or added to brandy for flavor. This is definitely a plant that you don't want to omit from your home garden.

The White Violets are shipped bare root.