We depend on donations from users of our database of over 8000 edible and useful plants to keep making it available free of charge and to further extend and improve it. In recent months donations are down, and we are spending more than we receive. Please give what you can to keep PFAF properly funded. More >>>

Follow Us:

 

Viola labradorica - Schrank.

Common Name Labrador Violet, Alpine violet, Johnny Jump-Up, Alpine Violet
Family Violaceae
USDA hardiness 3-8
Known Hazards None known
Habitats Woods and grassy places[187].
Range North-eastern N. America - Labrador, south to the mountains of Maine, New Hampshire and New York.
Edibility Rating    (3 of 5)
Other Uses    (2 of 5)
Weed Potential No
Medicinal Rating    (0 of 5)
Care (info)
Fully Hardy Moist Soil Full shade Semi-shade Full sun
Viola labradorica Labrador Violet, Alpine violet, Johnny Jump-Up,  Alpine Violet


en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Ram-Man
Viola labradorica Labrador Violet, Alpine violet, Johnny Jump-Up,  Alpine Violet
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Amrum

 

Translate this page:

Summary

Bloom Color: Blue, Purple. Main Bloom Time: Early spring, Late spring, Mid spring. Form: Spreading or horizontal


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of flower
Viola labradorica is an evergreen Perennial growing to 0.1 m (0ft 4in) by 0.3 m (1ft) at a fast rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 2 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from April to May. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid and neutral soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

Habitats

Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; not Deep Shade; Ground Cover;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Flowers  Leaves
Edible Uses: Tea

Young leaves and flower buds - raw or cooked[105]. A mild flavour, though the leaves soon become quite tough[K]. The leaves make a very acceptable addition to salads[K]. When added to soup they thicken it in much the same way as okra[85, 159]. A tea can be made from the leaves[85].

References   More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.


None known

References   More on Medicinal Uses

Now available: PLANTS FOR YOUR FOOD FOREST: 500 Plants for Temperate Food Forests and Permaculture Gardens.

An important new book from PFAF. It focuses on the attributes of plants suitable for food forests, what each can contribute to a food forest ecosystem, including carbon sequestration, and the kinds of foods they yield. The book suggests that community and small-scale food forests can provide a real alternative to intensive industrialised agriculture, and help to combat the many inter-related environmental crises that threaten the very future of life on Earth.

Read More

FOOD FOREST PLANTS

Other Uses

A good ground cover plant, fast spreading but slow to thicken up and may need weeding for the first year or so[197]. Plants should be spaced about 30cm apart each way[208]. A dynamic accumulator gathering minerals or nutrients from the soil and storing them in a more bioavailable form - used as fertilizer or to improve mulch.

Special Uses

Dynamic accumulator  Food Forest  Ground cover

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

Landscape Uses:Border,Ground cover, Rock garden, Woodland garden. Cool moist well-drained humus-rich soil in partial or dappled shade and protection from scorching winds. Succeeds in dense shade[197]. Tolerates sandstone and limestone soils but becomes chlorotic if the pH is too high. Prefers a pH between 6 and 6.5. Hardy to about -25°c[187]. There are some named varieties selected for their ornamental value[200]. 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[62, 85, 159]. Special Features:Attractive foliage, North American native, Naturalizing, Attracts butterflies, Suitable for cut flowers. For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. An evergreen. The plant growth habit is a runner spreading indefinitely by rhizomes or stolons [1-2].

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

Type a value in the Celsius field to convert the value to Fahrenheit:

Fahrenheit:

image

The PFAF Bookshop

Plants For A Future have a number of books available in paperback and digital form. Book titles include Edible Plants, Edible Perennials, Edible Trees, and Woodland Gardening. Our new book to be released soon is Edible Shrubs.

Shop Now

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.

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Native Plant Search

Search over 900 plants ideal for food forests and permaculture gardens. Filter to search native plants to your area. The plants selected are the plants in our book 'Plants For Your Food Forest: 500 Plants for Temperate Food Forests and Permaculture Gardens, as well as plants chosen for our forthcoming related books for Tropical/Hot Wet Climates and Mediterranean/Hot Dry Climates. Native Plant Search

Found In

Countries where the plant has been found are listed here if the information is available

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status :

Related Plants
Latin NameCommon NameHabitHeightHardinessGrowthSoilShadeMoistureEdibleMedicinalOther
Aconitum violaceum Perennial0.0 5-9  LMHSNM11 
Cardamine violacea Perennial0.3 -  LMHSNM20 
Gigantochloa atroviolaceaBlack Bamboo. Giant Black bambooBamboo12.0 9-11 MLMHSNM203
Hardenbergia violaceaCoral Pea, Purple Coral Pea, False Sarsaparilla, Vine LilacClimber2.0 9-11 FLMHSNM101
Hymenanthera dentataTree VioletShrub6.0 8-11  LMHNM002
Melicytus ramiflorusWhitey WoodTree9.0 8-11  LMHNM102
Orychophragmus violaceus Annual/Biennial0.3 6-9  LMHNM10 
Oxalis violaceaViolet Wood SorrelBulb0.3 4-8  LMHSNDM31 
Tulbaghia violaceaSociety GarlicPerennial0.3 7-11 FLMHNM423
Viola acuminata Perennial0.3 -  LMHSNM20 
Viola aduncaWestern Dog Violet, Hookedspur violet, Kirk's violetPerennial0.1 4-8  LMHSNM312
Viola bifloraTwoflower Violet, Arctic yellow violet, Carlott's violetPerennial0.2 0-0  LMHSM311
Viola brevistipulata Perennial0.3 -  LMHSNM20 
Viola canadensisCanada Violet, Canadian white violet, Creepingroot violetPerennial0.4 3-8  LMHSNM312
Viola caninaDog VioletPerennial0.4 5-9  LMHSNM31 
Viola collina Perennial0.1 -  LMHSNM20 
Viola cornutaHorned Violet, Bedding Pansy, Tufted Pansy,Perennial0.2 6-11 FLMHSNM303
Viola cucullataMarsh Blue VioletPerennial0.2 3-8  LMHSNMWe313
Viola diffusa Annual0.1 -  LMHSNM22 
Viola epipsilaDwarf Marsh VioletPerennial0.1 4-8  LMHSNM301
Viola esculentaSalad violet 0.0 0-0  LMHSNM00 
Viola glabellaStream Violet, Pioneer violetPerennial0.1 4-8  LMHSM20 
Viola grypoceras Perennial0.3 -  LMHSNM20 
Viola japonicaJapanese violetPerennial0.2 0-0  LMHSNM32 
Viola keiskei Perennial0.2 -  LMHSNM20 
Viola langsdorffiiAlaska Violet. Aleutian violetPerennial0.1 -  LMHSNM30 
Viola mandshuricaManchurian VioletPerennial0.2 7-10  LMHSNM30 
Viola mirabiliswonder violetPerennial0.2 4-8  LMHSNM31 
Viola obtusa Perennial0.1 -  LMHSNM20 
12

Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

 

Print Friendly and PDF

Expert comment

Author

Schrank.

Botanical References

200

Links / References

For a list of references used on this page please go here

Readers comment

Terence A Cox   Sun Aug 23 2009

I have had this plant in my garden for many years initially in a group of alpine plants. however I am now finding these plants all over my garden and the only way I've found to control it is by using a weedkiller. No where can I found reference to the fact that the plant can be so invasive.

Add a comment

If you have important information about this plant that may help other users please add a comment or link below. Only comments or links that are felt to be directly relevant to a plant will be included. If you think a comment/link or information contained on this page is inaccurate or misleading we would welcome your feedback at [email protected]. If you have questions about a plant please use the Forum on this website as we do not have the resources to answer questions ourselves.

* Please note: the comments by website users are not necessarily those held by PFAF and may give misleading or inaccurate information.

To leave a comment please Register or login here All comments need to be approved so will not appear immediately.

Subject : Viola labradorica  
© 2010, Plants For A Future. Plants For A Future is a charitable company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales. Charity No. 1057719, Company No. 3204567.