Viola labradorica

Viola labradorica: Dark Leaves Dressed to Match the Flowers

This violet tints its little heart-shaped leaves purple, darkest in cool weather and shade, like it's sulking stylishly. Mauve-purple flowers pop up in spring and sometimes again in fall. MOODY? YES. CHARMING? ALSO YES.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Viola labradorica of gardens (now generally treated as Viola riviniana Purpurea Group)
• Common Name: Purple Labrador Violet
• Height: 5–10 cm (2–4 in)
• Spread: 15–20 cm (6–8 in), slowly filling in by self-sowing
• Flowers: Small mauve-purple violets
• Bloom Time: Spring (May to June), often with a few flowers again in fall
• Foliage: Small, heart-shaped leaves tinted purple, darkest in cool weather and shade
• Features: Purple-tinted leaves, gentle self-seeder

Where to Plant: Use it as a small-scale groundcover at the front of a shady bed, under shrubs, along a woodland path or between stepping stones. It also tucks nicely into shady rock gardens and the edges of containers. It self-seeds readily, so expect little seedlings around the garden.

Companion Plants: Let Labrador violet carpet a moist, shady bed under opal lungwort, a crested fern and a dark ligularia. Pulmonaria Opal opens pale opal-blue bells at 30 to 35 cm in April and May. Athyrium filix-femina 'Victoriae' adds crested lady fern fronds at 45 to 60 cm. Ligularia 'Midnight Lady' brings dark leaves and golden daisies at 90 to 100 cm from July to September. Hakonechloa 'Aureola' edges the bed at 30 to 46 cm with gold-striped blades.

Plant Care: Plant in part shade or shade in average to moist soil that drains well. It likes humus-rich ground, so add compost or leaf mould if your soil is poor. Water during long dry spells, especially in its first season. There's little to do. Tidy up any tired leaves in early spring. It seeds itself gently around the bed. Pull or move the seedlings if they pop up where you don't want them. Slugs sometimes nibble the leaves in damp spots.

History: True Viola labradorica is a small wild violet of northern North America, including Labrador, which gave it its name. The purple-leaved plant sold in nurseries under that name usually turns out to be a form of the European dog violet, Viola riviniana Purpurea Group.

Final Thoughts: It gently self-seeds into the gaps, so the shade fills in without effort. LET IT SULK ALL OVER THE BED.