Common Name: Dog Violet

General Information

Viola canina is a herbaceous, perennial plant producing numerous decumbent to erect stems from a very short rhizome; it can grow 3 - 15cm tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and a medicine.

Known Hazards

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[, , ]. The flowers of this species are blue or white[].

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Eurasia - Norway to Portugal, east to the Russian Far east, Turkey and the Caucasus; N. Africa - Morocco; N. America - Greenland

Habitat

Heaths, dry grasslands, dunes and fens to 420 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.30 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

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[, , ].

Edible Uses

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[].

Medicinal

The flowers and leaves are powerfully cathartic and emetic[]. The plant has also had a reputation for curing skin diseases[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

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.