Wild violets or cultivated ... which ones are your most fragrant favorites?

The sweet violet (Viola odorata) likes cool, moist, slightly acid to neutral soil in partial or dappled shade. It’s fairly tough, but not as cold hardy as the common or wild blue violet (V. papilionacea).

V. papilionacea is the common wild violet here and considered invasive or weedy some places.

I used to grow Etan that I got from Bluestone Perennials but I couldn't get them to survive. Then I think I started Freckles from seed. My first experience growing them from seed and I really babied them they were prolific but I didn't bring any with me when I moved.

Etain is a lovely one. It's funny because they are are so popular some places such as Europe, but there isn't a lot of discussion about them. I see them a lot at the nurseries in the spring here ... mostly V. tricolor. I have several of the "wild" varieties and some of the cultivars.

I think these might be Etain? I have quite a few of these.
(photos from last yr)




Whatever they are, they are quite fragrant and persistent.

I planted a couple pedatas and a jooi last year, but I don't even see signs of life on them at this point...

Sheesh ...I lost track of this thread. Yes, they appear to be Etain or a close hybrid thereof. Beautiful!

Where did you get your V. jooi?

Arrowhead Alpines

here is pic from 2 days ago, of whatever garden hybrid now lives in place of the thing purchased as 'Etain' at Costco

They do tend to hybridize freely, don't they. You never know exactly what you'll get ... and keep on getting.

They don't have V. jooi at Arrowhead right now. But 'Freckles' is a cute one.

@SongofJoy, Tee,

Here it is, the Transylvania weed, V. jooi



apparently it decided to start blooming first and unfurl some leaves a little later

Great, dirt. Thanks for the photos. What size are the blooms?

a little bigger than a nickle...
Pics were taken at sunset last night, when I 'discovered' it. Maybe I'll try to clean it up a little and get more today...

dirtdorphins said:I think these might be Etain? I have quite a few of these.
(photos from last yr)

This is my Etain from last season.

Beautiful. Thank you so much for posting. The flowers with more yellow look like 'Etain'. The ones with more purple resemble 'Starry Night'.

I know I purchased them labeled as 'Etain'. I tried to find pics from their first or second year, because they really were more yellow, although the purple edge was much darker/wider than those pictured above. No luck.

Here is yesterday

I put them in when the smokebush-tree in the background was just a baby shrub. There is one on the left with a bit more yellow, but clearly the the progeny of the original has become mostly purple. And this, is just cool throat whiskers

Very cool whiskers. I like it a lot.

Okay--I found a yellow one hiding in there today--it's chomped and shadowed, but it's there


And here are some more of V. jooi





sweet!

Sweet indeed. Do you have a lot of them?

Not yet...but I read that they can become quite weedy.
Time will tell I guess. I am planning to relocate the one to a slightly shadier place where I welcome it's spread.

Violas are known for that. Personally, I like that about them. I'm hoping to plant several new varieties next month, if possible. I have the seeds. But life sometimes gets in the way.