Common Name: Grass Pansy

General Information

Viola pedunculata is a herbaceous perennial plant producing 1 - 10 decumbent to erect stems 5 - 39cm tall from a shallow to deep-seated, enlarged rhizome with fleshy to subligneous roots[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food. It is grown as an ornamental in gardens.

Known Hazards

All members of this genus have more or less edible leaves and flower buds, though those species, such as this one, that have yellow flowers can cause diarrhoea if eaten in large quantities[, , ].

Botanical References

,

Range

South-western N. America - California

Habitat

Open, grassy coastal and inland slopes and hillsides, usually in full sun, chaparral, foothill and oak woodland; at elevations up to 1,000 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Viola pedunculata is native to the Mediterranean climate of California, with its hot, dry summers amd cool to cold wet winters. It grows and flowers during the winter and early spring, dying down as the soil becomes dry in the summer[]. Plants are not very hardy outside Mediterranean climates or other regions of the temperate zone with mild winters[].
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[].
The stems of Viola pedunculata arise from an enlarged, subterranean, spongy or fibrous rhizome. Often, these rhizome structures are deep seated; it is unknown how they get so deeply buried[].
All members of this genus have more or less edible leaves and flower buds, though those species, such as this one, that have yellow flowers can cause diarrhoea if eaten in large quantities[, , ].

Edible Uses

Young leaves and flower buds - raw or cooked[, , ]. When added to soup they thicken it in much the same way as okra[, ]. The leaves are best harvested before the flowers open in the spring[]. Some caution is advised, the yellow flowers of this species can cause diarrhoea if eaten in large quantities[].

A tea can be made from the leaves[].

Medicinal

None known

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.